Faerlie Bartholomaeus

A review of the taxonomy, phylogeny, distribution and co-evolution of SchistonchusCobb, 1927 with proposal of Ficophagusn. gen. and Martinineman. gen. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae)

The purposes of this paper are to clarify the taxonomic status of the fig-pollinating wasp associate Schistonchus sensu lato(Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) and to suggest directions for future research on the systematics, life history and ecology of the group. Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that Schistonchus s.l.is polyphyletic, and the composition of the three major clades is outlined, together with information on nematode morphology, plant host species, associated pollinating wasp species, and distribution. Biological information and collection data is presented for Schistonchus s.l.from Ficussycones (Moracea) in Africa, Australia, Asia and Central America, and its putative phylogeny is discussed based on molecular and morphological evidence. Both wasps and figs are millions of years old and have worldwide distribution in tropical areas, i.e., opportunities for Schistonchus s.l.-like nematodes to have evolved could have occurred more than once. In addition, figs and their pollinating wasps have variable life histories, which could have provided opportunities for Schistonchus s.l.to also develop different life histories. However, these histories occur inside fig sycones and in association with wasps, which has apparently led to evolutionary convergence and extreme morphological conservatism. Diagnostic characters and their states, derived from examination of described species and morphospecies of Schistonchus s.l.and informed by molecular phylogenetic inferences, are discussed and illustrated. Schistonchus sensu strictois redefined, and Ficophagusn. gen. and Martinineman. gen. are proposed. Schistonchus s.s.is morphologically characterised by having the excretory pore opening in the region of, or posterior to, the metacorpus; Ficophagusn. gen. by having the excretory pore opening very near the cephalic region; and Martinineman. gen. by having it opening at the anterior end of the metacorpus. Several species of Schistonchus s.s.have a labial disc, but there is no evidence of this in either Ficophagusn. gen. or Martinineman. gen.

Schistonchus (Aphelenchoididae) from Ficus (Moraceae) in Australia, with description of S. aculeata sp. n.

A checklist of Schistonchus collected from Ficus spp. in Australia and stored in the Waite Nematode Collection at the University of Adelaide is presented. Within Australia, Schistonchus contains 12 morphospecies and four nominal species, based on a combination of the following characters: body shape when heat-relaxed, position of excretory pore, length of post-uterine sac, spicule form, and number and position of caudal papillae. Up to four morphospecies of Schistonchus have been collected from one species of Ficus and, in several cases, one morphospecies of Schistonchus has been collected from more than one host fig species. A phylogenetic tree based on D2/D3 sequences showed that Australian collections of Schistonchus fall into two clades, suggestive of endemic and introduced lineages with host switching. Schistonchus aculeata sp. n. is described from F. aculeata and F. opposita and differentiated from other species of Schistonchus by having the excretory pore opening near the lips, a short post-uterine sac, rosethorn-shaped spicules, arcuate gubernaculum or thickening of dorsal wall, amoeboid sperm, and three pairs of caudal papillae (one pair adcloacal, one just posterior to mid-tail, and one near the tail tip), association with Kradibia spp. pollinating wasps and apparent biogeographical range. A key to the known species and morphospecies of Schistonchus from Australia is presented.

Schistonchus virens sp. n. (Aphelenchoididae) and Parasitodiplogaster australis sp. n. (Diplogastridae) from Ficus virens (Moraceae) in Australia

A new species each of Schistonchus and Parasitodiplogaster were recovered from the sycones of Ficus virens from St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. This is also the first record of Parasitodiplogaster from Australia. The species are described here as Schistonchus virens sp. n. and Parasitodiplogaster australis sp. n. Schistonchus virens sp. n. is differentiated from other species of the genus by a combination of morphological characters, including C-shaped females and males, excretory pore opening located near the head, a short post-vulval uterine sac, rose-thorn-shaped spicule, amoeboid sperm, no gubernaculum, three pairs of subventral papillae on the male tail, DNA sequence data; biogeographical range and host wasp and Ficus species affiliation. Parasitodiplogaster australis sp. n. is differentiated from all other species of the genus by having females with only one gonad, males with C-shaped spicules with an arcuate, slender gubernaculum, characteristic arrangement of the male caudal papillae and DNA sequence data. The generic diagnosis of Parasitodiplogaster is emended to include loss of a female gonad.

Three new species of Schistonchus (Aphelenchoididae) from the Ficus subgenus Sycomorus (Moraceae) in northern Australia

Three new species of Schistonchus were recovered from sycones of Ficus racemosa, F. hispida and F. variegata (Moraceae Subgenus Sycomorus, Section Sycomorus) from the Cairns region in north-eastern Australia. Schistonchus baculum sp. n. is described from F. racemosa and F. hispida and is differentiated from other species of Schistonchus by a combination of morphological characters including having males with a walking-stick shape, excretory pore opening at the anterior end of the metacorpus, a long post-uterine sac, rose-thorn-shaped spicules, no gubernaculum, two pairs of subventral papillae on the tail, DNA sequence data, and apparent biogeographical range. Schistonchus fleckeri sp. n. is described from F. racemosa, F. hispida and F. variegata and is differentiated by a combination of morphological characters, including a C-shaped female and C-shaped to spiral males, the excretory pore opening near the lips, a short to medium length post-uterine sac, slender sickle-shaped spicules with a reduced rostrum, no gubernaculum, three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail, and apparent biogeographical range. Schistonchus cassowaryi sp. n. is described from F. variegata and is differentiated by a combination of morphological characters, including having C-shaped males and females, a posterior excretory pore situated posterior to the nerve ring, a short to medium length post-uterine sac, rose-thorn-shaped spicules, three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail (one adcloacal, one at mid-tail near lateral, and one near the tip), DNA sequence data, and apparent biogeographical range.

Schistonchus (Aphelenchoididae) from Ficus benjamina in Australia, with description of S. benjamina sp. n.

Ficus benjamina (Moracaeae subfamily Urostigma, section Conosycea) grows naturally in tropical Asia and in Australia in the north of the Northern Territory and the Cairns region of Queensland. It is widely grown as an ornamental in more temperate regions of Australia. Schistonchus benjamina sp. n. is described from sycones of F. benjamina in Brisbane, and is differentiated from other species of Schistonchus by a combination of morphological characters including having the excretory pore opening near the head, a short post-vulval uterine sac, rose thorn-shaped spicule, lightly sclerotised stylet and spicule, and three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail (one adcloacal, one at mid-tail length and one near the tail tip); and apparent biogeographical range. Phylogenetic analyses based on D3 sequences from collections from both northern and southern Queensland suggest that S. benjamina sp. n. is a species complex, but specimens from the different locations cannot be separated on morphological or morphometric data. Schistonchus benjamina sp. n. is closest to S. microcarpus from F. microcarpa (Urostigma, section Urostigma) in China.

Chemical and Sensory Comparison of Tomatoes Pollinated by Bees and by a Pollination Wand

ABSTRACT Tomato flowers (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in greenhouses require assisted pollination. Compared with pollination using a vibration wand, pollination by buzz pollinating bees results in improved seed set and consequently, higher fruit weight. We investigated whether there are further chemical and sensory differences between bee- and wand-pollinated cherry tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum variety Conchita. The pollination method did not result in significant differences in concentration of soluble solids and titratable acidity. However, the concentration of soluble solids was significantly positively correlated with seed number. We suggest that an increase in the amount of soluble solids in the locular area, due to increased seed numbers, is counteracted by the effects of seed numbers on the growth of the walls, which occurs through cell elongation. In the sensory part of this study, a large, untrained panel significantly preferred bee-pollinated over wand-pollinated tomatoes and classified bee-pollinated tomatoes as having more depth of flavor than wand-pollinated tomatoes. Thus, bee-pollinated tomatoes taste better than wand-pollinated tomatoes, and it is likely that the sensory differences between the two groups of tomatoes are mediated through effects of pollination treatment on seed numbers. Future chemical and sensory studies of fresh tomatoes should take into account the effects of seed numbers and their possible effect on the distribution of chemical compounds within tomatoes.

Schistonchus molochi sp. n. and S. athertonensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Ficus watkinsiana (Moraceae) in Australia.

Ficus watkinsiana (sub-genus Urostigma, Section Stilpnophyllum) is endemic to Australia, growing in two disjunct populations, one in north-eastern Queensland and the other in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. Schistonchus molochi sp. n. is described from F. watkinsiana in Queensland, Australia, and differentiated from other species of Schistonchus by a combination of morphological characters including having the excretory pore opening near the nerve ring, a broad head, a large, strongly sclerotised, stylet, a distinct lip sector disc with raised edges, a long post-uterine sac, rose-thorn-shaped spicule, no gubernaculum, three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail (one pair pre-cloacal on the anterior lip, one pair adcloacal on the posterior lip, and one slightly posterior to mid-tail) and bluntly rounded tail tip, and apparent biogeographical range. Presence of the lip sector disc suggests that it is closest to S. macrophylla. Schistonchus athertonensis sp. n. is also described from F. watkinsiana in Queensland and is characterised by a combination of morphological characters, including having the excretory pore opening near the nerve ring, a medium length post-uterine sac, presence of vulval flap in some specimens, rose-thorn-shaped spicule, no gubernaculum, and three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail (one pair adcloacal on the posterior lip, one at three to four-fifths of the tail length and one near the tip), a narrowly rounded tail tip, and apparent biogeographical range. Morphospecies 8, originally collected from F. obliqua, was also collected from F. watkinsiana in Queensland, and S. altermacrophylla was found with it in South Australia. These collections are further evidence of host-switching within Schistonchus.

Four new species and five morphospecies of Ficophagus Davies & Bartholomaeus, 2015 (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Ficus subgenus Urostigma sect. Americana (Moraceae) in Central America

Four new species of Ficophagus were recovered from the sycones of Ficus spp. from the Subgenus Urostigma section Americana from Central America. The species are described here as Ficophagus bullenei sp. n., F. costaricanus sp. n., F. paraensis sp. n. and F. kayai sp. n. The new species are differentiated from other species of the genus by a combination of morphological characters including body length, position of the excretory pore, spicule shape, stylet form, length of the post-uterine sac, tail shape, sequence data of the ribosomal DNA 18S, 28S D2-D3 and mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I, biogeographical range, and host wasp and Ficus species affiliations. In addition, five morphospecies are described from Ficus cahuitensis , F. citrifolia , F. dugandii , F. obtusifolia , and F. trigonata , respectively. The morphospecies are not formally named due to a lack of pertinent data/molecular sequences.

Nematodes from galls on Myrtaceae. XI. Descriptions of five new species of Fergusobia from Australia

Five new species of Fergusobia are described. Fergusobia janetae Davies n. sp. is characterized by the combination of an arcuate to straight, spindle-shaped parthenogenetic female with a relatively small oesophageal gland, an extensile uterus and a conoid tail, an arcuate infective female with a bluntly rounded tail tip, and a C-shaped male with an arcuate to angular spicule and bursa arising at more than 90% of body length. Fergusobia robustae Davies n. sp. is characterized by the combination of a small, C-shaped parthenogenetic female with a short cylindroid tail with a broadly rounded tip; an arcuate to C-shaped, relatively broad, infective female with a tail tip that is almost hemispherical; and an arcuate male with a strong angular spicule and a bursa arising at 30-40% of body length. Fergusobia pruinosae Davies n. sp. is characterized by the combination of a medium sized, open C-shaped, parthenogenetic female in which the cuticle does not swell upon fixation, with a strongly sclerotised stylet, with a more or less narrowly conoid tail with a bluntly or broadly rounded tip; infective female that is arcuate to J-shaped with a notched tail tip; and open C-shaped males with stout, angular spicules and bursa arising near the secretory/excretory pore. Fergusobia pauciflorae Davies n. sp. is characterized by the combination of a medium sized, arcuate, parthenogenetic female with a small stylet, and a conoid tail with a bluntly rounded tip; a small, open C to J-shaped infective female with a broadly rounded to almost hemispherical tail tip; and straight to arcuate males with stout, angular spicules and bursa at ~70% of body length anterior to the cloaca. Fergusobia obliquae Davies n. sp. has a relatively broad, arcuate, parthenogenetic female having a small but strongly sclerotised stylet, and a short conoid tail with a bluntly rounded tip; an arcuate, infective female with an almost hemispherical tail tip; and C-shaped males with arcuate to angular (not heavily sclerotised) spicules and bursa arising 50-80% of body length anterior to tail. Sequencing of the 18S and 28S rDNA domains for F. janetae n. sp. and of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) for F. pauciflorae n. sp. confirm that they are distinct species.

Two new species and three morphospecies of Ficophagus Davies & Bartholomaeus, 2015 (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Ficus subgenus Pharmacosycea (Moraceae) in Central America

Aphelenchoidid nematodes were collected from the sycones of Ficus subgenus Pharmacosycea from Central America. Two new species of Ficophagus were recovered, and are described herein as F. maxima sp. n. and F. yoponensis sp. n. from Ficus maxima and F. yoponensis , respectively. They are differentiated from other species of the genus by a combination of morphological characters including having C-shaped females and spiral males, EP opening close to the lips, a short to long post-uterine sac, spicule characters, three pairs of subventral caudal papillae, DNA sequence data, biogeographical range, and host wasp and Ficus species affiliation. The new species are differentiated from each other by spicule characters, length of the post-uterine sac, spermatheca shape, and female tail shape. In addition, three morphospecies were collected from sycones of Ficus glabrata , F. insipida and F. tonduzii , respectively. Their morphological descriptions are presented but these taxa are not formally named as they currently lack molecular data.