Ficophagus curtipes n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), an associate of Ficus curtipes in China

Abstract

SummaryA new nematode species was recovered from the syconia of Ficus curtipes from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China. It is described herein as Ficophagus curtipes n. sp. and is differentiated from all currently described species in the genus by the possession of a spicule with a ventrally recurved tip (terminal barb). It is further characterised by possessing a short post-uterine sac, an ovoid spermatheca, presence of crustaformeria, excretory pore located near the head, amoeboid sperm, three pairs of subventral papillae on the male tail, rounded male tail tip without mucron, rose-thorn-shaped spicules without cucullus and absence of gubernaculum (= apophysis). Ficophagus curtipes n. sp. was differentiated from other sequenced species by the partial small subunit rRNA gene and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that F. curtipes n. sp. has a closer relationship with F. benjamina and F. microcarpus in the same highly supported monophyletic clade than to the other sequenced Ficophagus and Schistonchus s.l. species.

Phylogenetic position of Ptychaphelenchus eucalypticola Hodda, 2009 within the Aphelenchoidoidea Skarbilovich, 1947 (Siddiqi, 1980) inferred from partial 18S and 28S rDNA gene sequences

“…This seems plausible as P. eucalypticola shares a number of morphological similarities with species of Ficophagus, including a general similarity in body shape, finely annulated cuticle, a robust stylet, a pharyngeal bulb with a post-median valve, a vulva with protruding or overhanging lips, a vagina perpendicular or anteriorly directed, and an anterior genital branch extending to overlap the pharyngeal glands (Hodda, 2009;Davies et al, 2015). Most species of Ficophagus have excretory pores opening in the cephalic region (Davies et al, 2015(Davies et al, , 2017a(Davies et al, , b, 2020Zeng et al, 2019Zeng et al, , 2020Zhang et al, 2019) although a few have an excretory pore opening in the vicinity of the nerve ring and pharyngeal intestinal junction (see Zhao et al, 2022) which is the condition in P. eucalypticola (Hodda, 2009). There are, however, a number of morphological differences between P. eucalypticola and species of Ficophagus.…”

“…There are, however, a number of morphological differences between P. eucalypticola and species of Ficophagus. Ptychaphelenchus eucalypticola possesses a labial disc, which species of Ficoph- agus lack (Davies et al, 2015(Davies et al, , 2017aZeng et al, 2019Zeng et al, , 2020Zhang et al, 2019;Zhao et al, 2022), with the exception of Ficophagus richardi Davies & Bartholomaeus, 2020, which has a 'labial cap' (Davies et al, 2020). The spicules in males of P. eucalypticola have a more depressed capitulum and a slighter condylus than in species of Ficophagus.…”

“…The spicules in males of P. eucalypticola have a more depressed capitulum and a slighter condylus than in species of Ficophagus. Species of Ficophagus have males with 2-3 pairs of caudal papillae, always with one pair about mid-tail length; the other one or two pairs may be found either pre-cloacal, or near the tail tip (Davies et al, 2015(Davies et al, , 2017a(Davies et al, , b, 2020Zeng et al, 2019Zeng et al, , 2020Zhang et al, 2019;Zhao et al, 2022). Conversely, in P. eucalypticola there are three pairs of caudal papillae, two just posterior to the cloaca, and the third pair slightly more posterior, but not at mid-tail length (Hodda, 2009).…”