Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Aphelenchoides fuchsi sp. n. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) Isolated from Pinus eldarica in Western Iran

Abstract

Aphelenchoides fuchsi sp. n. is described and illustrated from bark and wood samples of a weakened Mondell pine in Kermanshah Province, western Iran. The new species has body length of 332 to 400 mm (females) and 365 to 395 mm (males). Lip region set off from body contour. The cuticle is weakly annulated, and there are four lines in the lateral field. The stylet is 8 to 10 mm long and has small basal swellings. The excretory pore is located ca one body diam. posterior to metacorpus valve or 51 to 62 mm from the head. The postuterine sac well developed (60-90 mm). Spicules are relatively short (15-16 mm in dorsal limb) with apex and rostrum rounded, well developed, and the end of the dorsal limb clearly curved ventrad like a hook. The male tail has usual three pairs of caudal papillae (2+2+2) and a well-developed mucro. The female tail is conical, terminating in a complicated step-like projection, usually with many tiny nodular protuberances. The new species belongs to the Group 2 sensu Shahina, category of Aphelenchoides species. Phylogenetic analysis based on small subunit (SSU) and partial large subunit (LSU) sequences of rRNA supported the morphological results.

Description of Aphelenchoides macrospica n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Northwestern Iran

“…is grouped with other genera of Aphelenchoidinae, i.e., Ficophagus Davies, Ye, Kanzaki, Bartholomaeus, Zeng, and Giblin-Davis, 2015, Martininema Davies, Ye, Kanzaki, Bartholomaeus, Zeng, and Giblin-Davis, 2015, Laimaphelenchus Fuchs, 1937, and Schistonchus s.s. Davies, Ye, Kanzaki, Bartholomaeus, Zeng, and Giblin-Davis, 2015, in clade 2. According to our molecular analysis, the members of the genus Aphelenchoides appears to be paraphyletic, a finding that agrees with previous studies (Zhao et al, 2008;Rybarczyk-Mydl À owska et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2013;Fang et al, 2014aFang et al, , 2014bMiraeiz et al, 2015;Esmaeili et al, 2016aEsmaeili et al, , 2016bGolhasan et al, 2016). Furthermore Aphelenchoides, Laimaphelenchus, and Schistonchus s. l cannot be clearly separated, possibly implying that all the genera share a recent common ancestor (Zeng et al, 2007).…”

“…Among them, A. besseyi is listed within the top 10 plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) (Jones et al, 2013). Based on our current knowledge, the occurrence of Aphelenchoides species in Iran is well known, including 34 species till date (Ghaderi et al, 2012;Esmaeili et al, 2016aEsmaeili et al, , 2016bGolhasan et al, 2016). Recently, three new species of the genus, A. huntensis Esmaeili, Fang, Li, andHeydari, 2016, A. fuchsi Esmaeili, Heydari, Ziaie, andGu, 2016, associated with pine trees and A. iranicus Golhasan, Heydari, Alvarez-Ortega, Esmaeili, Castillo, and Palomares-Rius, 2016, associated with oak trees have described for the first time from Iran.…”