Molecular and morphological variation of the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus neglectus

During a survey of plant-parasitic nematodes in Iran, five populations of Pratylenchus neglectus were studied by means of morphological and molecular characterization. The results showed that body length has high significant correlation with morphometric data indices such as a (r = 0.487; p ≤ 0.01), b (r = 0.355; p ≤ 0.05), c (r = 0.527; p ≤ 0.01), stylet (r = 0.625; p ≤ 0.01), excretory pore (r = 0.750; p ≤ 0.01), overlapping (r = 0.434; p ≤ 0.01) and tail length (r = 0.447; p ≤ 0.05). However, the highest correlation was detected between pharynx overlapping and postvulval uterine sac (r = −0.935; p ≤ 0.01). A molecular study of the P. neglectus populations using 28S rDNA showed close relationships of the Iranian, UK (KX683377), South Korea (KY468842) and China (JX046968). The COI of mtDNA analysis showed close relationship of the Iranian P. neglectus with the Chineese populations (KX349423; KY424105). The results indicated monophyly of P. neglectus. Illustration and measurement tables are provided for the species.