Morphological and molecular characterization of Butlerius butleri Goodey, 1929 (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) from South Africa: First report

Abstract

Two populations of a Butlerius species were recovered from compost in two gardens in Potchefstroom, North-West Province, South Africa. Although the genus has previously been reported from South Africa, no species of the genus has ever been identified in the country. Based on morphological, morphometric, and molecular studies, the specimens were identified as Butlerius butleri and are herein reported for the first time from South Africa. The South African specimens are 1,082 to 1,423 µm long, a = 40.8 to 47.6; b = 4.7 to 5.8; c = 4.0 to 6.0; c′ = 117 to 16.3; V = 44 to 47%. Cuticle with evenly spaced punctations. Reproductive system didelphic, amphidelphic, both branches equal in length. Four large glands opening into proximal part of uterus. Males with prominent sphincter present in midregion of vas deferens. Spicules 36 to 43 μm long, gubernaculum 23 to 31 µm long, nine pairs of genital papillae, three pre-cloacal and six post-cloacal, formula: v1, v2, v3d/v4, ad, ph, v5, 6, 7, pd. The v5, 6, 7 clusters greatly separated, left subventral group at level of phasmid, right subventral group at level of posterior dorsal papilla. Although there were some differences, the South African populations of the species compare well to all know descriptions of the species. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences showed that both South African populations of B. butleri are in a maximally supported sister relation with an Iranian population of this species. Based on large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences, the two populations of B. butleri clustered together in a well-supported clade.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Diplogasteroides sp., a Cryptic Population of the Haslacheri Group (Diplogastridae), and Parasitorhabditis terebranus (Rhabditidae) from Korea

“…The newly obtained sequences (18S-rRNA, D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S-rRNA, ITS-rRNA and COI gene) of Diplogasteroides sp. and P. terebranus were aligned using ClustalX 1.83 ( Thompson et al, 1997 ) along with the corresponding comparison sequence data sets of other close species within the genera Diplogasteroides and Parasitorhabditis , and species of other closely related genera published in GenBank ( Kanzaki et al, 2013 , 2015 ; Valizadeh et al, 2017 ; Bhat et al, 2020 ; Girgan et al, 2021 ). Sequences from Rhabditoides inermiformis and Leptolaimus donsi were used as outgroup taxa for constructing the phylogenetic tree for the 18S-rRNA gene.…”