Morphological and Molecular Characterization, Including Parasitic and Pathogenic Studies of a New Spherical Cyst Nematode Species, n. sp. (Nematoda: Heteroderidae), Associated with Potatoes in China.

In this study, a new spherical cyst nematode belonging to the genus , herein described as n. sp., was extracted from the roots and rhizosphere soil of potato and circumjacent weeds belonging to different families in three provinces in southwest China. The new species was characterized by 8 to 24 ridges between the anus and fenestra and an average Granek's ratio of 2.8 to 3.8 in cysts, a head with three to four annules, a dorsal knob anteriorly projected, ventral knobs round or anteriorly projected in second stage juveniles, a head with three to five annules, a short spicule with an average length of less than 30.0 μm, and a developed velum in males. Pathogenicity tests showed that n. sp. infected potato but did not damage or affect the potato yield compared with the control, and it parasitized tomato with a low reproduction rate (RF < 1) while it did not parasitize tobacco (RF = 0). The new species was closely related to , based on molecular diagnostic marker sequences and constructed phylogenetic analysis, based on internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA, large-subunit rDNA, and small-subunit rDNA. However, the new species exhibited differences from in terms of morphological characteristics, a wide host preference, lack of damage to hosts, and an egg-hatching rate induced by hatching factors.