Ficophagus auriculatae n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), an associate of the Ficus auriculata-complex in China

Abstract

Summary A new nematode species was recovered from the syconia of Ficus auriculata-complex, including F. auriculata, F. oligodon and F. hainanensis, from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China. It is described herein as Ficophagus auriculatae n. sp. and is characterised by possessing the combined characters of a short post-uterine sac, excretory pore located between the metacorpus and the stylet basal knobs, testis multi-reflexed, amoeboid sperm, three pairs of subventral papillae on male tail, rounded male tail tip without mucron, absence of gubernaculum (= apophysis) and sickle-shaped spicules with terminal cucullus. Ficophagus auriculatae n. sp. was differentiated from other sequenced species by the partial small subunit rRNA gene and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis with the above-mentioned sequences suggested that F. auriculatae n. sp. has a closer relationship with F. fleckeri in the same highly supported monophyletic clade than with the other sequenced Ficophagus and Schistonchus sensu lato species.