Morphological and molecular characterization of Xiphinema krugi from Argentina associated with silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa) intercepted in China

Abstract

A population of dagger nematode from Argentina was intercepted by Quarantine Bureau in Shenzhen, China. Xiphinema sp. was recovered from imported silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa). Morphometric studies of the intercepted Xiphinema agreed with the description of X. krugi from Argentina and Brazil with slight variations in morphometric values of c' (1.1 μm vs. 1.3 μm vs. 1.2 μm), odontostyle length (114 μm vs. 112 μm vs. 116 μm), ratio of anterior genital branch as expressed to diameter of vulva (1.8 μm vs. 1.6 μm vs. 2.2 μm). Phylogenetic analyses of X. krugi (KY011940) using ITS1 rDNA region indicated a well-supported (PP=0.98) clade to X. krugi putative species from Brazil classified as genotypes profile B (DQ017149-DQ017151), all these specimens shares morphologically a conoid tail and distinct ventral peg. This is the first interception report of X. krugi, from Argentina in China associated with Ceiba speciosa.