MALENCHUS HERRERAI N. SP. (NEMATODA: TYLENCHIDAE) FROM THE RAINFOREST OF PERU WITH ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE GENUS
Authors
Manuel Mundo-Ocampo
CIIDIR-IPN, Unidad Sinaloa, Mexico (Previous address);
Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Oleksandr Holovachov
Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
Tiago A. Jose Pereira
CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education from Brazil, Brasília-DF 70040-020, Brazil
Keywords:
diagnosis, Malenchus, morphology, scanning electron microscope, taxonomy
Abstract
A new species of the genus Malenchus from the rainforest of Peru is described. Malenchus herrerai n. sp. was collected from an epiphytic moss associated with shade trees of coffee plantations (Coffea arabica) in the Chacra, Santa Fe, La Merced region, Peru. This new species is characterized by having a very well developed (robust and long) stylet. So far, it is the species with the largest stylet in the genus Malenchus. The robust stylet of M. herrerai n. sp. and its association with an epiphyte moss may indicate a host-parasite relationship between both organisms. In addition to the species description, morphological information of cuticular and sensory organs (amphids and pro-phasmids) is provided. These findings complement the existing scarce information on the morphology of the genus.
