Summary
Aphelenchoides kheirii n. sp. was isolated during a survey of nematodes associated with bark samples of pine trees (Pinus nigra) in West Azerbaijan province, north-western Iran. The new species has a body length of 500 (448-520) μm in the female and 442 (402-480) μm in the male. The cuticle is weakly annulated with four lateral lines and the lip region is offset. The stylet is 10.4 (10-11) μm long with small basal swellings and the excretory pore located immediately posterior to base of metacorpus; hemizonid invisible. The post-vulval uterine sac length 37.7 (28-45) μm. Spicules are relatively short (18-20 μm in dorsal limb) and the end of the dorsal limb clearly curved ventrally like a hook. The male tail has usual three pairs of caudal papillae (2 + 2 + 2) and a well-developed mucron. The female tail is conical, terminating in a complicated step-like projection, usually with many tiny nodular protuberances. The new species belongs to the Group 2 category of Aphelenchoides species sensu Shahina in which ten known species among Groups 2 and 4 sensu Shahina, namely: A. arcticus, A. blastophthorus, A. fuchsi, A. parasaprophilus, A. paraxui, A. xui, A. dactylocercus, A. gynotylurus, A. iranicus and A. saprophilus are the most similar species. Phylogenetic analysis based on small subunit (SSU) and partial large subunit (LSU) sequences of rRNA supported the morphological results.
Soil moisture derivation using triangle method in the lighvan watershed, north western Iran