Steinernema jeffreyense n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), a new entomopathogenic nematode from South Africa.

During a non-targeted survey for entomopathogenic nematodes in South Africa, a new species of Steinernema was isolated from a soil sample collected from underneath a guava tree, close to the shore at Jeffrey's Bay. The nematode was isolated by means of the insect-baiting technique using last-instar larvae of Galleria mellonella. It is described herein as Steinernema jeffreyense n. sp. The nematode can be separated from other described, closely related species in terms of the morphological and morphometric characteristics of the different life stages, and in terms of the characterization and phylogeny of DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA of the 18S gene, and of the D2D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene. The new species is placed molecularly in the arenarium-glaseri-karii-longicaudatum group characterized by the following morphological characters: infective third-stage juvenile with a body length of 926 (784-1043) μm, distance from head to excretory pore of 87 (78-107) μm, tail length of 81 (50-96) μm, with an E% of 109 (86-169), and eight evenly spaced ridges (i.e. nine lines) in the middle of the body. First-generation males have a spicule length of 88 (79-95) μm and gubernaculum length of 57 (51-61) μm. Male mucron is absent in both generations. First-generation females have an asymmetrical protuberance and a short, double-flapped epiptygmata, with both flaps directed to the front. The tail of the first-generation female is shorter than the anal body width, with a mucron on the dorsal tail tip, with D% = 78 (59-99). Cross-hybridization with S. khoisanae, S. tophus and S. innovationi showed the new species to isolate reproductively from the others. The analyses of ITS rDNA and D2D3 sequence of the 18S and 28S rDNA genes support the studied nematode isolate to be a valid new species belonging to the 'glaseri' group (Clade V).