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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426655
Research Project: Optimizing and Stabilizing Economic and Ecological Sustainability of Pacific Northwest Seed Cropping Systems Under Current and Future Climate Conditions

Location: Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit

Title: First report of Anguina pacificae parasitizing turfgrass in Washington

Author
item BRAITHWAITE, EMILY - Oregon State University
item SCHMID, CHARLES - Oregon State University
item KOWALEWSKI, ALEC - Oregon State University
item FLEMING, KATHERINE - Oregon State University
item Peetz, Amy
item Zasada, Inga
item Rivedal, Hannah

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2025
Publication Date: 11/26/2025
Citation: Braithwaite, E.T., Schmid, C.J., Kowalewski, A.R., Fleming, K., Peetz, A.B., Zasada, I.A., Rivedal, H.M. 2025. First report of Anguina pacificae parasitizing turfgrass in Washington. Journal of Nematology. 57(1). Article e2025-1. https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2025-0053.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2025-0053

Interpretive Summary: The Pacific shoot-gall nematode, Anguina pacificae, is an economically important pest of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) putting greens in the coastal areas of northern and central California. In December 2024, this nematode was detected for the first time in Washington on an annual bluegrass tee box. This report details the identification methods used to confirm the identity of this nematode from the sample. This is important for turfgrass managers in the Pacific Northwest region, as this nematode has not been reported outside of California prior to this finding.

Technical Abstract: The Pacific shoot-gall nematode (Anguina pacificae) is an economically important pest of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) putting greens in the coastal areas of northern and central California. In December 2024, diagnostic samples submitted to the Oregon State University Turfgrass Diagnostic Clinic from a golf course tee box in Clark County, Washington contained A. pacificae. Visual symptoms of chlorotic patches and dieback of the turf surface were observed, as well as swellings in the crowns that contained infective stage juveniles (J2). Morphological features as well as morphometric measurements of J2s were consistent with A. pacificae. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (COX1) gene regions confirmed the species identity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. pacificae parasitizing turfgrass in Washington.