Unveiling novel and known <italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species from China and USA.

<italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species are wood- or bark-inhabiting nematodes, generally mycetophagous and reported to have endophoretic associations with insects. In the present study, we describe two new and one known <italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species detected in imported and domestic wood samples. <italic>Cryptaphelenchus americanum</italic> n. sp. and <italic>C. minutus</italic> were detected in the log samples of <italic>Pinus taeda</italic> imported from the USA, whereas <italic>C. orientalis</italic> n. sp. was isolated from the bark of dying <italic>Pinus sylvestris</italic> trees in Inner Mongolia, China. Both new species displayed characteristic features, including a relatively short body length, four lateral lines, a short post-vulval uterine sac in females, and a distinct cloacal apophysis in male tails. Newly recovered and known species were characterised molecularly, and phylogenetic trees were constructed to study their relationship with related <italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species. Notably, the genetic divergence observed among <italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species was found to be more significant compared to morphometrical differences, highlighting the importance of molecular data in taxonomy. The identification of new and known species expands our understanding of the genus and suggests that <italic>Cryptaphelenchus</italic> species may be under studied, underscoring the necessity for continued exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]