Morphological and molecular characterisation of Bursaphelenchus andrassyi sp. n. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Romania and Turkey

Bursaphelenchus andrassyi sp. n., found in conifer wood samples from Romania and Turkey, is characterised morphologically and genetically. Bursaphelenchus andrassyi sp. n. clearly belongs to the sexdentati group, having a terminal bursa, four lateral lines, a very small female ‘vulval flap’, strongly arcuate spicules and the typical position of caudal papillae of males. It is morphologically most similar to B. vallesianus and B. sexdentati. It can be differentiated from B. vallesianus by the usually subcylindrical female tail with rounded or wedge-shaped terminus vs conical female tail with a more or less rounded terminus, slightly different shape of spicules (low square condylus, lacking a distinct cucullus, pointed rostrum) and from B. sexdentati by lacking a distinct post-vulval constriction, shorter stylet and shorter spicules. The species status is supported by ITS-RFLP patterns and sequencing results of both partial 18S and 28S rDNA regions.