Criconema mutabile (Nematoda: Criconematidae) from Iran and South Africa

During a survey in Iran and South Africa on the plant parasitic nematode, a criconematid species namely, Criconema mutabile was recovered from undisturbed land. Criconema mutabile is characterised by having body length 240–378 μm long, with total body annuli 88–118, conspicuous lip region offset from the body with one annulus; long and robust stylet 56–76 μm, long and short rounded tail, 12–19 μm long. Illustration and measurements for both Iranian and South African populations and LM and SEM photographs of the South African population are provided. Phylogenetic analysis of the Iranian and South African C. mutabile using 28S rDNA, placed them together with populations of the same species from Venezuela (AY780954; 11 nucleotide difference; 98% identity) and Iran (KU722385; 7 nucleotide difference; 99% identity). In addition, the population studied showed 100% identity with two populations of unidentified Criconema (FN433874 and FN433865) from California, USA.