Molecular and morphological characterisation of Ditylenchus persicus n. sp (Nematoda: Anguinidae) from Kermanshah province, western Iran

A new species of the genus Ditylenchus, D. persicus n. sp., was collected around the roots of grapevine and is described and illustrated herein based on morphological and molecular studies. The new species is characterised by a body length of 783 (635-928) mu m and 689 (670-715) mu m in female and male, respectively, delicate stylet 6.2 (5.0-7.0) mu m long, six lines in the lateral field, median bulb of pharynx well developed, muscular with crescentic valve, basal pharyngeal bulb pyriform with 10 (8-13) mu m long stem extending into intestine, post-vulval uterine sac relatively short, 16 (14-18) mu m long, female and male tail elongate-conoid with finely rounded terminus, and bursa covering 65-80% of male tail length. Morphologically, D. persicus n. sp. appears closer to five known species of the genus, namely: D. arachis, D. caudatus, D. clarus, D. myceliophagus and D. nanus. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of D2-D3 expansion region of 28S rRNA, ITS and partial 18S rRNA genes confirmed the close molecular relationship between D. persicus n. sp. and other Ditylenchus species such as D. myceliophagus, D. africanus, D. arachis, D. destructor and D. halictus.