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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #297278
Title: A new nematode genus Rugoster (Leptolaimina: Chronogastridae), with descriptions of six new species

Author
item SIDDIQI, MOHAMMAD - Nematode Taxonomy Laboratory
item Handoo, Zafar
item SIDDIQI, SAFIA - Nematode Taxonomy Laboratory

Submitted to: International Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/2/2013
Publication Date: 6/1/2013
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/58069
Citation: Siddiqi, M.R., Handoo, Z.A., Siddiqi, S.F. 2013. A new nematode genus Rugoster (Leptolaimina: Chronogastridae), with descriptions of six new species. International Journal of Nematology. 23(1):10-27.

Interpretive Summary: Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil. Some cause crop diseases of $100 billion annually; others feeding on fungi or other microorganisms are beneficial to agriculture. One major agricultural problem is that the species of nematodes in a particular field are often unknown to science. In this study, an ARS scientist from Beltsville, Maryland and a scientist from England report the discovery of six new species of nematodes (called Rugoster species) associated with rice, weeds and forests in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, India, and Australia. Moreover, a new diagnostic key containing methods for identifying these and related species is presented. The identification key is significant because it provides the only accurate, all-inclusive guide to identification of the nematodes in this group. This research will be used by scientists designing strategies for enhancing the roles of beneficial nematodes in agricultural soils.

Technical Abstract: A new genus, Rugoster, is proposed in the family Chronogastridae. It is characterized by having longitudinal cuticular grooves on the body cuticle and a tail having a stem-like mucro bearing 2 lateral, strongly hooked spines and two finer terminal hooked spines. Rugoster magnifica (Andrássy, 1956) comb. n. is proposed as type species of Rugoster, and Chronogaster magnifica Andrássy, 1956 and Chronogaster tessellata Mounport, 2005 are transferred to it. The new genus is diagnosed, some notes on its morphology are added, and its relationships are discussed. Six new species of Rugoster are described and illustrated. These are R. colbrani from Queensland, Australia, R. recisa, R. virgata and R. neomagnifica from West Africa, and R. regalia and R. orientalis from India. R. magnifica and R. tessellata are briefly redescribed from West Africa with photomicrographs to illustrate their morphological characters. Chronogastridae has been redefined and assigned to Superfamily Plectoidea, Suborder Leptolaimina, Order Araeolaimida. A key to the species of Rugoster is given.