Hirschmanniella kwazuna sp. n. from South Africa with notes on a new record of H. spinicaudata (Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1944) Luc & Goodey, 1964 (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) and on the molecular phylogeny of Hirschmanniella Luc & Goodey, 1964

Abstract

Abstract A new species of the genus Hirschmanniella, H. kwazuna sp. n., is described from unidentified grass growing in undisturbed veldt from South Africa. Hirschmanniella kwazuna sp. n. is characterised by having a very irregular heat-relaxed body posture, body 1522-2049 μm long, lip region low and rounded with four or five lip annuli, stylet 18-22.5 μm long, lateral field areolated along entire body, spermatheca filled with sperm, tail with 62-81 ventral annuli narrowing to a tip bearing a ventral mucro, angular crystal-like inclusions within body cavity in most of the specimens and phasmid situated 12-24 annuli or 15-26 μm anterior to tail tip. Males, like females, have crystal-like inclusions with the tail curved strongly dorsad in most specimens. Juveniles are similar to females. Molecular sequence analysis using the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S, partial 18S and ITS rRNA sequences distinguished H. kwazuna sp. n. from H. loofi and other species of the genus. Hirschmanniella spinicaudata is reported from South Africa for the first time and described. Phylogenetic analyses based on analysis of the D2-D3, 18S and ITS rRNA genes are given for eight, ten and five valid and unidentified Hirschmanniella species, respectively.