Description of Prionchulus jonkershoekensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Mononchida), a new predatory species from South Africa

Candice Jansen van Rensburg; Hendrika Fourie; Samad Ashrafi; Milad Rashidifard

doi:10.21307/jofnem-2021-039

Description of Prionchulus jonkershoekensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Mononchida), a new predatory species from South Africa

J Nematol. 2021 Mar 26:53:e2021-39. doi: 10.21307/jofnem-2021-039. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Candice Jansen van Rensburg¹, Hendrika Fourie², Samad Ashrafi³, Milad Rashidifard²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
² Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Integrated Pest Management, North-West University, Private Bag x6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
³ Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Messeweg 11-12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany.

Abstract

Prionchulus jonkershoekensis n. sp. is described from South Africa and illustrated using morphological, morphometric, and molecular techniques. This species is characterized by its body length (1.78-2.14 mm); the size of buccal cavity (38-44 × 24-31 µm), lower dorsal tooth position in relation to buccal cavity base, the position of amphidial aperture just above dorsal tooth apex, pars proximalis vaginae with almost straight walls, and tail 144-158 µm long with sickle shaped posterior third part. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18 S rDNA and 28 S rDNA of P. jonkershoekensis n. sp. revealed close relationships of the new species with Prionchulus punctatus and Prionchulus muscorum. This is also an additional geographical record for the genus from South Africa.

Keywords: Mononchida; Morphology; Morphometrics; Ribosomal DNA; Taxonomy.