Abstract

This paper provides a detailed description of a new species of genus Aspidonema isolated from mint leaf beetles (Chrysolina herbacea), and is the first report of a bunonematid nematode from beetles in India. Aspidonema kashmirensis sp. nov. is characterised by females having small, asymmetrical body (L = 224–337µm, a = 13.1–20.3, b = 3.2–4.2, c = 7.2–10.7, c′ = 4.0–5.7, V = 53.3–60.0), with the right side body cuticle ornamented with shields, warts and networks while the left side is provided with five longitudinal ridges. The shields are transversely-ovoid, having strongly sclerotized borders and a pair of elliptical slits for the underlying warts. Fine pores observed under SEM are present on the surface of the shields. Males have a bifid tail; long, thin, free spicules, distally hooked gubernaculum; asymmetrical, leptoderan bursa and eight pairs of genital papillae.