Zheng Jing-wu

Description of Bursaphelenchus paraparvispicularis n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) found in packaging wood from Hongkong, China

Bursaphelenchus paraparvispicularis n. sp. is described and figured from pine packaging wood originating in Hongkong, China, and inspected in Ningbo harbour, China. The new species clearly belongs to the hofmanni group. It is characterised by a relatively stout body (a = 26.7 and 26.5 for males and females, respectively), three lines in the lateral field, seven caudal papillae, spicules relatively small (12.6-15.3 μm), mitten-shaped, with lamina dorsal line smoothly arcuate but calomus relatively straight, condylus squared or round, well developed, rostrum well developed with round terminus, cucullus absent, the shape of the female tail, which is short and ventrally bent with a bluntly pointed terminus, and vulval lips not forming a vulval flap. The new species is morphologically closest to B. parvispicularis and can be distinguished by smaller and stouter body, lower female ratio c′ (average 2.8 vs 4.4) and longer spicule condylus. The separate species status is supported by ITS-RFLP patterns and molecular phylogenetic analysis based on ITS1/2 and partial LSU sequences, which revealed that B. paraparvispicularis n. sp. is closest to B. parvispicularis.