Bursaphelenchus kesiyae n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), isolated from dead wood of Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon (Pinaceae) from Vietnam, with proposal of new subgroups in the B. fungivorus group

Abstract

Bursaphelenchus kesiyae n. sp. is described. The new species was isolated from dead wood of Pinus kesiya during a field survey of nematodes associated with dead pine trees (Pinus spp.). The new species is medium- to large-sized for the genus, with males 690-1059 μm and females 837-1122 μm in body length, and has four lateral lines, six male genital papillae (P1 ventral single papilla is missing or vestigial), a mitten-shaped spicule with clear dorsal and ventral limbs, an indistinctive small and narrow bursal flap, vulva lacking any flap apparatus, and female tail long, tapering and straight or slightly ventrally curved. Based upon its diagnostic morphological characters, the new species belongs to the B. fungivorus group and is closely related to B. thailandae and B. parathailandae, with which it forms a cryptic species complex. However, the new species is distinguished from these two species by the morphology of the male bursal flap and several morphometric values, i.e., the bursal flap of the new species is inconspicuous, or almost lost in many individuals. Molecular phylogenetic analysis inferred from near-full-length SSU and D2-D3 LSU supported the morphological observations, i.e., the new species is molecularly similar to B. thailandae and B. parathailandae, but could be distinguished phylogenetically. Further, differences in molecular sequences in SSU and D2-D3 LSU between the new species and its close relatives are slightly higher than those between B. xylophilus and B. mucronatus, thus, identification of the species status for B. kesiyae n. sp. is considered warranted.