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Title: Two new species of Paurodontella Husain and Khan, 1968 (Nematoda: Sphaerulariidae) associated with wheat and a diagnostic compendium to the genus

Author
item Handoo, Zafar
item IQBAL ERUM, YAWAR - UNIV. KARACHI, PAKISTAN
item NASIRA, KAZI - UNIV. KARACHI, PAKISTAN
item SHAHINA, FAYYAZ - UNIV. KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Submitted to: Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/26/2009
Publication Date: 2/28/2010
Citation: Handoo, Z.A., Iqbal E.Y., Kazi, N., Shahina, F. 2010. Two new species of Paurodontella Husain and Khan, 1968 (Nematoda: Sphaerulariidae) associated with wheat and a diagnostic compendium to the genus. Nematology. 12(2):181-192.

Interpretive Summary: Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil. Some cause crop losses of $100 billion annually; others feeding on fungi or other microorganisms are beneficial to agriculture. One major agricultural problem is that the species of nematodes in a particular field are often unknown to science. Therefore, in this study, an ARS scientist from Beltsville, Maryland and scientists from the University of Karachi, Pakistan report the discovery of two new species of nematodes (called Paurodontella species) from wheat fields in Pakistan. Moreover, a new diagnostic key containing methods for identifying these and related species was prepared. The identification key is significant because it provides the only accurate, all-inclusive guide to identification of the nematodes in this group. This research will be used by scientists designing strategies for enhancing the roles of beneficial nematodes in agricultural soils.

Technical Abstract: An identification key to 10 valid species of Paurodontella is given. A compendium of the most important diagnostic characters with illustrations of each species is included as a practical alternative and supplement to the key. The diagnosis of Paurodontella is emended and a list of all valid species of the genus is given. Two new species (Paurodontella myceliophaga n. sp. and P. balochistanica n. sp.) collected around the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from North West Frontier Province and Balochistan, Pakistan are described and illustrated. Paurodontella myceliophaga n. sp. is characterized by having a short post-uterine sac, lateral field with four incisures, excretory pore at the base of the esophagus and fusiform median bulb, whereas P. balochistanica n. sp. has a longer and very slender body with posterior vulva, lateral field with four incisures, and short mucronate tail. Because these species are limited in distribution, their importance is not known.