A new Dorylaimid nematode Xiphinema radicicola n. sp.

Extract

In a collection of nematodes received from the Institute of Plant Diseases, Buitenzorg, Java, there were three tubes containing eelworms from pepper gardens on the island of Bangka, Dutch East Indies, where disease of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) caused by the “burrowing” nematode, Anguillulina similis, is particularly severe. In one of these tubes were worms which had been collected by Dr. J. van der Vecht from diseased pepper roots grown in a garden at Mabat Oerit, Bangka. Among these were large numbers of Anguillulina similis, many Cephalobus striatus, one Aphelenchus avenae, a few Dorylaimus sp. and 30 representatives of the worm which forms the subject of this note. On being cleared and mounted in glycerine it was seen that the buccal spear in all cases was extraordinarily long and closely resembled that figured by Cobb (1913) in Xiphinema americanum from which it was concluded that the worms might possibly belong to the genus Xiphinema. A question which exercised the writer for some time was whether, following Micoletzky (1921), the genus Xiphinema Cobb, 1913 should be considered as synonymous with Tylencholaimus de Man, 1876.