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Summary: Bursaphelenchus tadamiensis , which was initially isolated from a stag beetle, Dorcus striatipennis , collected from sap flow of Quercus crispula in Fukushima, north-eastern Japan, was re-isolated three times from sap flow of Quercus spp. in western Japan. The re-isolated populations were mostly morphologically consistent with the type population, but the male bursal flap showed high variations in the newly collected populations. Molecularly, the type and new populations showed differences in the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, suggesting that the species is genetically divided into several local populations. The isolation pattern of B. tadamiensis , i.e. , the species was initially isolated from sap flow-associated beetles and subsequently isolated from sap flow, suggests that the species prefers and is adapted to the sap flow environment as its habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A new aphelenchoidid entomoparasitic nematode was isolated from the body cavity of overwintering individuals of a tenebrionid beetle, Uloma marseuli , collected at Shiga, Japan. The nematode is characterised by its six equal-sized lips forming a dome shape continuous with body contour. It has a moderately thick stylet, with wide lumen, a long two-part long (conus + conophore) and elongate oval or pear-shaped metacorpus with glandular anterior part. The male spicules are separate with a well-developed condylus, triangular rostrum and smoothly and strongly curved calomus-lamina complex. A gubernaculum or apophysis is absent. There are two pairs of papilliform male genital papillae. Females lack a post-vulval uterine sac, have a seemingly vestigial rectum and anus, and conical tail. The combination of the typological characters of the species does not fit any currently accepted aphelenchoidid genus and is somewhat intermediate between the Ektaphelenchinae and Entaphelenchinae. The molecular phylogenetic analysis also suggested that the nematode is close to both Ektaphelenchoides (Ektaphelenchinae) and Peraphelenchus (Entaphelenchinae). Thus, the nematode is described and illustrated as Lenisaphelenchus ulomae n. gen., n. sp. and tentatively placed in the Ektaphelenchinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To investigate the phoretic association between nematodes in the genus Bursaphelenchus and cerambycid beetles in north-eastern Japan, Pinus densiflora logs were placed in two pine forests in the towns of Yamada and Hiranai as beetle oviposition sites. At 1-2 years after oviposition, adults of Monochamus saltuarius emerged from the logs placed in Yamada and adults of Acalolepta sejuncta and A. fraudatrix emerged from the logs placed in Hiranai, and Bursaphelenchus nematodes were recovered from two of these species (M. saltuarius and A. sejuncta). Morphometrics and a phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 and the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene indicated that both of these nematode populations were B. doui , which has previously only been known to use M. subfasciatus and A. fraudatrix as vectors. Therefore, this study demonstrated that this nematode utilises at least four species of beetles belonging to two genera as vectors in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bursaphelenchus acaloleptae n. sp. is described and figured based upon its morphological characters and molecular profiles. The new species belongs to the xylophilus -group of the genus and is typologically characterised by its secretory-excretory pore being located slightly posterior to the median bulb, weakly tapering, relatively broad and straight female tail with variously shaped terminus, and rounded male bursal flap with squared terminus. The new species is phylogenetically and biologically closest to B. luxuriosae. These cryptic species share the host (habitat) tree species, Aralia elata (Araliaceae), the same carrier insect species, Acalolepta luxuriosa (Cerambycidae), and a characteristic phoretic adult form. However, the new species is typologically distinguished from all other xylophilus -group species by the combination of the above-mentioned characters and molecular profiles (SSU and LSU molecular barcodes). Further, B. acaloleptae n. sp. can be distinguished from its closest relative, B. luxuriosae , by mating experiments, i.e. , these two species did not produce a viable F1 generation in reciprocal crossings, thereby confirming separate species status using the biological species concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bursaphelenchus tadamiensis n. sp. is described. The new species was isolated during a field survey of nematodes associated with stag beetles. It was recovered from the dissected body of a Dorcus striatipennis, from Tadami, Fukushima, Japan. The new species is medium sized for the genus, with males 486-772 μm and females 643-997 μm in body length, and has four lateral lines, six male genital papillae (P1 ventral single papilla is missing or vestigial), mitten-shaped spicule with clear dorsal and ventral limbs, rather large squared bursal flap, vulva lacking flap, female tail long, tapering and ventrally curved. Based upon its diagnostic morphological characters, the new species belongs to the B. fungivorus group and is close to B. thailandae, B. willibaldi and B. braaschae. It is distinguished from these three species by morphology of the male bursal flap and several morphometric values, e.g., the V value of B. tadamiensis n. sp. is clearly larger than that of the above three species. The molecular phylogenetic analyses inferred from near full-length SSU and D2/D3 LSU supported the morphological observations, i.e., the new species is molecularly similar to B. thailandae, B. willibaldi, B. braaschae and B. kiyoharai. The stag beetle association of the new species may be an accidental phoresy, although the nematode could be undergoing carrier (vector) switching, because only two adult (no dauer juveniles) individuals were isolated from only one of 100 beetles examined. The insect organ with which the nematode was associated is unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teratorhabditis synpapillata, originally described from cow dung in Bali, was isolated from the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, in Japan. Dauer juveniles were isolated from beneath the elytra of five specimens of R. ferrugineus that had emerged from a dead Canary Island date palm, Phoenix canariensis, in Kagoshima, Japan. The dauer juveniles were cultured on a NGM agar plate and the adult nematodes observed and measured with the aid of light microscopy. The full length of the ribosomal small subunit (SSU) and D2/D3 expansion segment of the ribosomal large subunit (LSU) were sequenced for molecular identification. Based upon morphology, molecular profile and a hybridisation test, the nematode was confirmed as T. synpapillata. A comparison of morphology and morphometrics suggests that the only other nematode reported from R. ferrugineus (= 'Pelodera rhynchophori') is also conspecific with T. synpapillata. A phylogenetic analysis using SSU and LSU rRNA gene sequences fully resolves the relationships of four Teratorhabditis and six outgroup species and demonstrates a sister group relationship of T. synpapillata and T. palmarum, another associate of palm weevils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]