Aphelenchoides eldaricus n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) isolated from Pinus eldarica in western Iran

Abstract

Aphelenchoides eldaricusn. sp. is described and illustrated from wood and bark samples of a dead Mondell pine in Kermanshah Province, western Iran. The new species has a body length of 597 (507-700) μm (females) and 662 (636-695) μm (males). The cuticle is weakly annulated with three lateral lines and the lip region is offset. The stylet is 9.6 (9-10) μm long with small basal swellings and the excretory pore is locatedcaone body diam. posterior to the metacorpus valve. The spicules are large with the dorsal limb 40 (38-42) μm long with a prominent rostrum and rounded apex. The female tail is conical, tapering gradually to an acute terminus with a simple ventral mucron. The male tail bears six (2 + 2 + 2) caudal papillae and a well-developed mucron. The new species belongs to the Group 2 category ofAphelenchoidesspecies and is close to four known species, namelyA. cibolensis,A. indicus,A. rutgersiandA. sacchari. Molecular analyses of the partial 18S and the D2-D3 expansion segments of the 28S rRNA gene confirmed its morphological status as a new species.