Ficophagus curtipes n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), an associate of Ficus curtipes in China

Abstract

Summary A new nematode species was recovered from the syconia of Ficus curtipes from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China. It is described herein as Ficophagus curtipes n. sp. and is differentiated from all currently described species in the genus by the possession of a spicule with a ventrally recurved tip (terminal barb). It is further characterised by possessing a short post-uterine sac, an ovoid spermatheca, presence of crustaformeria, excretory pore located near the head, amoeboid sperm, three pairs of subventral papillae on the male tail, rounded male tail tip without mucron, rose-thorn-shaped spicules without cucullus and absence of gubernaculum (= apophysis). Ficophagus curtipes 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 analyses suggested that F. curtipes n. sp. has a closer relationship with F. benjamina and F. microcarpus in the same highly supported monophyletic clade than to the other sequenced Ficophagus and Schistonchus s.l. species.