Three new species of Nematodes from sugarcane fields in Nigeria

Three new species of plant nematodes belonging to the genus Boleodorus Thorne, 1941 ; Paratylenchus Micoletzky, 1922 and Xiphinema Cobb, 1913 are described from the sugarcane fields in Gengola state, North East, Nigeria. Boleodorus acuruus n.sp. is closely related to B. clavicaudatus Thorne, 1941 but differs in length of body and spear and in shape of lip region. The shifting of B. clavicaudatus to Boleodoroides Mathur et al., 1966 is disputed. Paratylenchus variatus n.sp. differs from the closely related P. leptus Raski, 1975 in shape of lip region and in the sizc of spear, and from P. colbrani Raski, 1975 in having only two or three incisures in the lateral fields, in shape of tail and absence of males. Xiphinema brevistylus n.sp. differs from the closely related X. tarjani Luc, 1975 in absence of "blind canal" in tail, smaller odontostyle and odontophore and anteriorly located vulva, and from X. vulgare Tarjan, 1964 in smaller and differently shaped tail, smaller odontostyle and odontophore and posteriorly located vulva

Sex attraction in Cruznema lambdiense (Nematoda : Rhabditidae)

Cruznema lambdiense males did not attract males, and females did not attract females. Young virgin males responded to young virgin females but, not to old virgin females. Young virgin females, however, rcsponded to both young and old virgin males. Virgin males were not attracted to non-virgin females, but non-virgin males were attracted to virgin females. Non-virgin females showed a positive response to virgin males, and virgin females also responded to non-virgin males. Attraction of males to females and females to males increased when the number of attractant worms increased from ten to 50, but greater numbers did not produce a corresponding increase in attraction. When both males and females were put together in varying ratios at the attractant source, the attraction of females increased slightly to ratio of female : male of 1:50 to 20:50 but declined thereaftter to increasing ratios. Males, however, did not show any similar increase to male : female ratios and attraction gradually decreased from 1:50 to 50:50 male: female ratio