Bursaphelenchus zealandicus sp. n. (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae), a new species of the hofmanni-group from Pinus radiata in New Zealand

Bursaphelenchus zealandicus sp. n. was extracted from a dead pine tree (Pinus radiata) in Kinleith Forest, Taupo, New Zealand (NZ). This is the fourth Bursaphelenchus species from NZ. Bursaphelenchus zealandicus sp. n. is characterised by a body length of 562 (466-730) μm and 580 (470-706) μm of males and females, respectively, slim body (a = 34.7 and 33.1, respectively), stylet 11.4 (9.7-13.0) μm long for males and 10.7 (9.4-12.1) μm for females, lateral field with three lines, the mean value of the vulva position 71.8%, lacking a vulval flap in lateral view, length of the post-uterine branch ca 41.6% of the vulva-anus distance, the female tail long and conical (c = 19.3), tapering to a finely rounded terminus, ventrally curved like a hook, the male with spicules 12.3 μm long in chord, having an obvious developed rostrum and condylus, the rostrum sharply pointed, the male tail terminus with a distinct bursa seen in dorso-ventral position, a single pre-anal papilla, two pairs of ventro-sublateral papillae (one pair pre-anal (P2), one pair post-anal (P3) just in front of the bursa) and one pair of ventral mid-line glandular papillae (P4) present. The combination of three lateral lines and the position of caudal papillae reveal a relationship of the new species to other three-lined groups (hofmanni-group, eggersi-group, eremus-group, leoni-group); however, the shape of the spicules is different and unique among the known species of Bursaphelenchus. Its taxonomic status has been confirmed by analyses of the near full length small subunit (SSU), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1 and 2), D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal rDNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.