Morpho-Molecular and Ultrastructural Characterization of Discocriconemella Parasinensis n. Sp. from Zhejiang Province, China.

During a recent inventory survey of the nematofauna of tea plantation at Zhejiang Province, China, Discocriconemella parasinensis n. sp. was detected in the rhizosphere of Camellia sinensis . The new species can be characterized by having the uninterrupted rounded labial disc, en face view showing rectangular-rounded labial plate without submedian lobes, R = 82.6 (80-86), Rex = 22 (21-23), stylet length of 68.3 (59-76) μm, excretory pore located 1-2 annuli posterior to the esophageal bulb, vulva open, postvulval body elongated conoid, and tail conoid with bilobed terminus. Morphologically, the species shares the same lip-type with D. discolabia , D. mauritiensis , D. mineira , D. perseae , and D. sinensis . Phylogenetic relationships of the new species based on D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S, ITS, and 18S rRNA genes revealed that D. parasinensis n. sp. formed a separated clade from other criconematid species, thereby supporting its status as a new species of the genus. The new species showed close phylogenetic relationships with Criconemoides geraerti .
(© 2022 Junxia Li et al., published by Sciendo.)