Description of Laimaphelenchus shanxiensis sp. n. (Rhabditida: Aphelenchoididae) from Shanxi province, PR China

Laimaphelenchus shanxiensis sp. n. was recovered from the bark samples of Chinese pine tree (Pinus tabuliformis) in Shanxi province, China. The new species is characterised by having 888-1049 gm long females, the cephalic region with six labial sectors divided by ribs, stylet 11-13 gm long, the excretory pore located at the same level with, or slightly posterior to nerve ring, lateral field with four incisures, post-vulval uterine sac 54-83 gm long, vulva with a well-developed anterior flap, tail having a single stalk at terminus ending to a flat structure with 4-7 finger-like appendages in scanning electron microscopy; male spicules 20-22 gm long and two pairs of caudal papillae present. In addition, molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from the partial small subunit (SSU) and D2-D3 segments of large subunit (LSU) of rRNA genes, revealed that this nematode belongs to the Laimaphelenchus and is different from all currently sequenced species of Laimaphelenchus for their SSU and LSU markers.