Description of a new subspecies of Bursaphelenchus africanus (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) found in packaging wood from Russia

Bursaphelenchus africanus rossicus subsp. n. was detected from Russian packaging wood (Pinus sp.) arriving in China in August, 2009. The spicule shape and size are almost the same as in the B. africanus found in wood from South Africa, but it differs slightly from the South African isolate by longer (mean L = 945 vs 691 mu m and 1062 vs 766 mu m, for males and females, respectively) and slimmer body (a = 39.8 vs 35.0 and 40.0 vs 35.1, for males and females, respectively), higher male ratio c (mean c = 37.0 vs 28.7) and higher female ratio c' (mean c' = 4.7 vs 3.4), longer female tail (58 vs 42 mu m), and also by female tail shape (slightly ventrally bent vs straight). Their ITS-RFLP patterns are also slightly different. Based on the absence of clear morphological differences and relatively small ITS 1/2 and D2/D3 LSU sequence divergences, the new isolate is considered as Bursaphelenchus africanus rossicus subsp. n.