Three new species of Nematodes from sugarcane fields in Nigeria

Abstract

Three new species of plant nematodes belonging to the genus Boleodorus Thorne, 1941 ; Paratylenchus Micoletzky, 1922 and Xiphinema Cobb, 1913 are described from the sugarcane fields in Gengola state, North East, Nigeria. Boleodorus acuruus n.sp. is closely related to B. clavicaudatus Thorne, 1941 but differs in length of body and spear and in shape of lip region. The shifting of B. clavicaudatus to Boleodoroides Mathur et al., 1966 is disputed. Paratylenchus variatus n.sp. differs from the closely related P. leptus Raski, 1975 in shape of lip region and in the sizc of spear, and from P. colbrani Raski, 1975 in having only two or three incisures in the lateral fields, in shape of tail and absence of males. Xiphinema brevistylus n.sp. differs from the closely related X. tarjani Luc, 1975 in absence of "blind canal" in tail, smaller odontostyle and odontophore and anteriorly located vulva, and from X. vulgare Tarjan, 1964 in smaller and differently shaped tail, smaller odontostyle and odontophore and posteriorly located vulva.