Morphology, ultrastructure and molecular characterisation of Spiroxys japonica Morishita, 1926 (Spirurida: Gnathostomatidae) from Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell) (Amphibia: Ranidae)

Gnathostomatid nematodes identified morphologically as Spiroxys japonica Morishita, 1926 were collected from the dark-spotted frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell) (Amphibia: Ranidae) in China. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphology of this species in detail. Previously unreported morphological features are revealed and others corrected. In addition, adult nematodes of S. japonica collected from P. nigromaculatus and Spiroxys hanzaki Hasegawa, Miyata & Doi, 1998 collected from Andrias japonicus (Temminck) (Caudata: Cryptobranchidae) in China and Japan, respectively, and the third-stage larva of S. japonica collected from Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw) (Anura: Ranidae) in Japan, were characterised using molecular methods by sequencing and analysing ribosomal [large ribosomal DNA (18S) and internal transcribed space] and mitochondrial [cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1] target regions, respectively. The new morphological and genetic data contributes to a more accurate diagnosis of this hitherto little known nematode genus

Nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 4 analysis of Xiphinema diversicaudatum and Xiphinema simile (Nematoda: Longidoridae)

Regions within the mitochondrial gene encoding for the nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nad4) were characterized to evaluate the extent of genetic variation within and among Xiphinema diversicaudatum and Xiphinema simile populations. Four different sequence variants of nad4 were determined among eight populations of X. diversicaudatum and three variants among three populations of X. simile. Nucleotide variation was detected in 28 of 411 bp (2.43 to 4.87 %) in X. diversicaudatum and in three of 395 bp (0.25 to 0.76 %) in X. simile. This represents the first study based on the characterization of the nad4 gene for the analysis of population genetic of two Xiphinema species. © 2013 KNPV