Meloidogyne morocciensis n. sp. (Meloidogyninae), a Root-knot Nematode from Morocco

Authors

  • Abdallah Rammah
  • Hedwig Hirschmann

Abstract

Meloidogyne morocciensis n. sp. is described from specimens parasitic on peach rootstock from Morocco. This species exhibits a combination of morphological characters similar to M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica. The perineal pattern of females is oval to squarish with a moderately high to high dorsal arch, and widely spaced, smooth striae; lateral lines are absent. The stylet, 16.5 [mu]m long, has transversely ovoid, set-off knobs. Males have a set-off, annulated head region. The large, rounded labial disc is distinctly demarcated from the crescent-shaped medial lips; lateral lips are absent. The robust stylet, 24.6 [mu]m long, has large, rounded knobs that taper slightly posteriorly. Mean second-stage juvenile (J2) length is 401 [mu]m. The set-offhead region has incomplete annulations; the lip structures are dumbbell shaped. The stylet, 12.3 [mu]m long, has rounded knobs that slope posteriorly. The J2 tail, 52.6 [mu]m long, has irregularly sized annules in the posterior region and ends in a bluntly rounded tip. Tomato, tobacco, pepper, and watermelon are good hosts; cotton and peanut are not hosts. Meloidogyne morocciensis n. sp. reproduces by mitotic parthenogenesis and has a somatic chromosome number of 47-49. Its esterase phenotype is identical with the three-banded phenotype (A3) of M. arenaria. Key words: host range, light microscopy, Meloidogyne morocdensis n. sp., Morocco, morphology, morphometrics, new species, peach rootstock, Prunus persica, root-knot nematode, scanning electron microscopy, taxonomy.

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Published

1990-07-15

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Articles