Litylenchus coprosma gen. n., sp. n. (Tylenchida: Anguinata), from leaves of Coprosma repens (Rubiaceae) in New Zealand

Abstract

A new genus and species of anguinid nematode, Litylenchus coprosma gen. n., sp. n., was recovered from leaves of Coprosma repens A. Rich. from an amenity planting in Wellington, New Zealand. The genus is characterised by having slender males and slender or semi-obese females, pharynx with a weak non-muscular median bulb, a terminal bulb containing the pharyngeal glands, female with a single gonad having a quadricolumella and post-uterine sac; male with arcuate spicules and the bursa arising 1-2 anal body diam. anterior to the cloacal aperture and extending nearly to the tail tip, and does not induce galls, only foliar chlorosis. The species is characterised by having a short, robust stylet with conus forming ca 40% of stylet length and three well developed rounded knobs, secretory/excretory pore opening posterior to the nerve ring, terminal bulb abutting the intestine, and tail tip of variable form. Molecular phylogeny of near full length small subunit, D2/D3 expansion segments of the large subunit and internal transcribed spacer rRNA genes support the description of L. coprosma gen. n., sp. n. as a new genus and species.