Tylenchulus semipenetrans was identified morphologically from root samples collected from citrus orchards in Shahdad region, southeastern Iran. The number of juveniles and females averaged 648/100 g soil and 65/10 g root, respectively, in infected samples. Monitoring these orchards for two years (2012)(2013) indicated no significant correlation between soil pH (7.21-7.70) and EC (0.56-1.98) values and populations densities of T. semipenetrans. With respect to seasonal distribution, T. semipenetrans attained the highest density during fall and the lowest in spring. Sequence analysis of the D2-D3 segment of 28S rDNA confirmed this population as T. semipenetrans. Nblast indicates that the sequence from this population differs in only three or five nucleotides from corresponding sequences from T. semipenetrans populations from Korea (FJ969715, FJ060713, and FJ969712), with 99% identity. The phylogenetic position and a table of measurements of this species are provided.

Tylenchulus semipenetrans was identified morphologically from root samples collected from a pomegranate plant in a garden in the Shahdad region of southeastern Iran. Molecular analysis based on the D2-D3 segment of 28S rDNA confirmed this population as T. semipenetrans. Phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method, places this population close to the same species from the USA, Egypt and Korea. This is the first record of T. semipenetrans on pomegranate in Iran and worldwide.

During a survey of plant-parasitic nematodes in Iran, five populations of Pratylenchus neglectus were studied by means of morphological and molecular characterization. The results showed that body length has high significant correlation with morphometric data indices such as a (r = 0.487; p ≤ 0.01), b (r = 0.355; p ≤ 0.05), c (r = 0.527; p ≤ 0.01), stylet (r = 0.625; p ≤ 0.01), excretory pore (r = 0.750; p ≤ 0.01), overlapping (r = 0.434; p ≤ 0.01) and tail length (r = 0.447; p ≤ 0.05). However, the highest correlation was detected between pharynx overlapping and postvulval uterine sac (r = −0.935; p ≤ 0.01). A molecular study of the P. neglectus populations using 28S rDNA showed close relationships of the Iranian, UK (KX683377), South Korea (KY468842) and China (JX046968). The COI of mtDNA analysis showed close relationship of the Iranian P. neglectus with the Chineese populations (KX349423; KY424105). The results indicated monophyly of P. neglectus. Illustration and measurement tables are provided for the species.