First record of the genus Discotylenchus Siddiqi, 1980 (Nematoda: Tylenchidae) from Iran, with description of one and data on two known species

The genus Discotylenchus is reported for the first time from Iran. Discotylenchus iranicus n. sp. is described and illustrated based on morphological and morphometric characters. The new species is characterized by a combination of the following morphological features: lip region continuous and smooth, tapering to an offset prominent labial disc, lateral field with four incisures, stylet length of 14–15 µm, vulva position at 70.8–76.5 %, tail length of 81–100 µm, conoid with a rounded tip and presence of males. The Iranian population of D. brevicaudatus shows a wider morphometric range compared to the original description and the male of this species is described for the first time. The morphological characters and range of morphometric data of D. discretus are in full agreement with the original population

Molecular and morphological characterisation of Xiphinema granatum n. sp. and Longidorus pisi Edward, Misra and Singh, 1964 (Dorylaimida: Longidoridae) from Iran

Xiphinema granatum n. sp. from pomegranate in Saveh, Markazi province, central Iran, is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to species group 8 of the genus Xiphinema sensu Loof & Luc, 1990. The new species is characterised by a body 3.5-4.1 mm long, 37-49 μm diam., odontostyle and odontophore 118-132 and 65-74 μm long, respectively, presence of sperm in the female genital tracts, uterus devoid of any Z-differentiation or spines, and abundant males with spicules 45-58 μm long. The polytomous identification codes of the new species are: A4, B4, C5a, D5, E56, F4, G23, H2, I3, J4, K2, L2. Beside morphological and morphometric data, molecular analyses of D2-D3 fragments of 28S rRNA gene placed the new species in close relationship with X. vuittenezi and X. italiae and some species belonging to Xiphinema morphospecies group 6, but clearly separated from X. index. In addition, an Iranian population of Longidorus pisi from the same locality is morphologically and molecularly characterised.The authors thank Mohammad Reza Atighi, Azam Houshmand and Farideh Moharrek for their kind help and the Iranian National Science Foundation (INSF) and Tar- biat Modares University (Iran) for financial support, and the excellent technical assistance of J. Martín Barbarroja (IAS-CSIC). The Spanish authors thank the Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia from the Junta de An- dalucía (grant AGR-136) and the European Social Fund for financial support.Peer reviewe

Molecular and morphological characterisations of two new species of Rotylenchus (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae) from Iran

Two new amphimictic species, Rotylenchus iranicus n. sp. and R. conicaudatus n. sp., are described. Rotylenchus iranicus n. sp. is characterised mainly by an offset hemispherical lip region with 5-6, rarely 7, annuli, stylet 39-44 μm long, vulva located at 53-65% and rounded tail with 4-9 annuli and typical smooth tip. Morphologically this species is related to R. montanus, R. provincialis and R. aqualamus. Rotylenchus conicaudatus n. sp. is characterised mainly by a slightly offset conoid-rounded lip region with four or five, rarely six annuli, stylet 27-32 μm long, vulva located at 52-63% and conoid-rounded tail with 10-16 annuli and a typical annulated tip. Morphologically this species is related to R. pumilus, R. abnormecaudatus, R. acuspicaudatus and R. provincialis. The results of the phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of the D2-D3 expansion regions of 28S and ITS1-rRNA genes confirmed the species differentiation. Phylogenetic relationships with other species were difficult to assign using D2-D3 expansion regions of 28S. However, using ITS1-rRNA, R. conicaudatus n. sp. presented a close relationship with R. unisexus, whilst R. iranicus n. sp. was closely related to R. conicaudatus n. sp., R. unisexus, R. incultus and R. laurentinus.Peer Reviewe

Description of a new species of seed-gall nematode, Anguina obesa n. sp. (Nematoda: Anguinidae) from northern Iran, and its phylogenetic relations with other species and genera

Anguina obesa n. sp., a new species of the genus, causing small seed galls inside the ovaries of foxtail weed plants (Alopecurus mysuroides Huds.) is described and illustrated based on its morphological and molecular characters. The new species is characterized by its 1516–2564 μm long obese females irregularly ventrally curved after fixation, having six lines in lateral fields, 6–9 μm long stylet with well-developed rounded knobs, constriction at junction of isthmus with the pharyngeal bulb, monodelphic-prodelphic female reproductive system, and conical, 60–80 μm long tail. Males of the new species are characterized with their slender 936–1420 μm long body, 25–30 μm long tylenchoid spicules, and bursa not reaching tail tip. Second stage juveniles of the new species were also common inside the galls and also recovered from soil in type locality. The new species is morphologically close to Anguina agropyronifloris, A. amsinckiae, A. paludicola and A. tumefaciens, but is more closely related to A. paludicola, from which it can be separated based on differences in morphological characters and internal transcribed spacer sequence. In Bayesian inference using sequences of the aforementioned genomic fragment, the new species formed a clade with A. agrostis, A. funesta, A. graminis, A. phalaridis and some unidentified isolates, with robust Bayesian posterior probability (BPP). The morphologically closest species, A. paludicola, occupied a separate position, outside of the clade containing the new species. The sequences of two other genomic fragments, 18S and 28S rDNA (D2/D3 region) were also made available for the new species. Morphological comparisons of the new species with the related species are discussed.Mahyar Mobasseri, Majid Pedram, Ebrahim Pourjam, Terry Bertozz

First record of the genus Discotylenchus Siddiqi, 1980 (Nematoda: Tylenchidae) from Iran, with description of one and data on two known species

The genus Discotylenchus is reported for the first time from Iran. Discotylenchus iranicus n. sp. is described and illustrated based on morphological and morphometric characters. The new species is characterized by a combination of the following morphological features: lip region continuous and smooth, tapering to an offset prominent labial disc, lateral field with four incisures, stylet length of 14–15 µm, vulva position at 70.8–76.5 %, tail length of 81–100 µm, conoid with a rounded tip and presence of males. The Iranian population of D. brevicaudatus shows a wider morphometric range compared to the original description and the male of this species is described for the first time. The morphological characters and range of morphometric data of D. discretus are in full agreement with the original population

Molecular and morphological characterisation of Paralongidorus iranicus n. sp. and P. bikanerensis (Lal & Mathur, 1987) Siddiqi, Baujard & Mounport, 1993 (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from Iran

Paralongidorus iranicus n. sp., a new bisexual species of the genus, is described and illustrated by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and molecular studies from specimens collected in the rhizosphere of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) from the Caspian (Khazar) seashore, Nour, northern Iran. Paralongidorus iranicus n. sp. is characterised by the large body size (7.8-11.4 mm), a rounded lip region, clearly set off by a collar-like constriction at level of, or slightly posterior to, the amphidial aperture, and bearing a very large, stirrup-shaped, amphidial fovea, with conspicuous slit-like aperture, a very long and flexible odontostyle ca 170 μm long, guiding ring located at 34 μm from anterior end and males with spicules ca 80 μm long. In addition, data from an Iranian population of P. bikanerensis recovered from the rhizosphere of palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Bam, Kerman province, south-eastern Iran, agree very well and are very close to the original description of the species from India. The D2 and D3 expansion regions of 28S rRNA gene, ITS1, and 18S rRNA sequences were obtained for P. iranicus n. sp. and P. bikanerensis. Phylogenetic analyses of P. iranicus n. sp. and P. bikanerensis rRNA gene sequences and of Longidorus spp. sequences published in GenBank were done using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference. Paralongidorus species (including P. iranicus n. sp.) clustered together; however, P. bikanerensis clustered within Longidorus spp. and was clearly separated from all other Paralongidorus spp. in trees generated from the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S and partial 18S data set, respectively. © 2012 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden.The project was financially supported by the Iranian National Science Foundation (INSF) and Tarbiat Modares University (Iran).Peer Reviewe

Description of Rotylenchus arasbaranensis n. sp. from Iran with discussion on the taxonomic status of Plesiorotylenchus Vovlas, Castillo & Lamberti, 1993 (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae)

Rotylenchus arasbaranensis n. sp., a new monosexual species is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular studies. The new species is characterised by having an offset and hemispherical lip region with 5-6 annuli, 32-36 μm long stylet, vulva located at 43.9-59.2% with a single epiptygma and rounded tail, rarely bilobed, with 6-8 annuli. The species R. striaticeps and the male of R. buxophilus are reported for the first time from Iran and R. fragaricus is reported and studied for the second time after its original description. The results of the phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of the D2- D3 expansion region of the 28S, ITS1-rRNA and the partial 18S rRNA genes were provided for the studied species, confirming their differences from each other and determining the position of them and their relationships with closely related taxa. Also, the validity of Plesiorotylenchus is discussed on the basis of molecular data and its synonymisation (with only one sequence) with Rotylenchus is accepted.The first four authors acknowledge the Iranian National Science Foundation (INSF) and Tarbiat Modares University (Iran) for the financial support; while the sixth to eighth authors acknowledge the financial support by grant AGR-136 from ‘Consejería de Economía, Innvovación y Ciencia’ from Junta de Andalucía, and Union Europea, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo regional, ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’. SEM pictures were obtained with the assistance of technical staff and the equipment of ‘Centro de Instrumentación Científico-Técnica (CICT)’, University of Jaén.Peer Reviewe