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Title: TYPE SPECIMENS ON DEPOSIT IN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NEMATODE COLLECTION, BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND

Author
item Handoo, Zafar
item Golden, A
item Ellington, Donna

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Nematodes are microscopic worms that attack plant roots and cause seven billion dollars worth of agricultural losses each year in the United States. Accurate identification of the species or kinds of nematodes involved is of critical importance in all phases of nematology, including research, control and regulatory activities. One problem associated with nematode identification is that reference specimens of nematodes are often needed by identifiers. The U. S. Department of Agriculture Nematode Collection (USDANC) is an invaluable resource that loans reference specimens to scientists needing them. This paper contains a list of all deposited type or original specimens with references, a detailed historical background, the maintenance procedures and the policies regarding loan of type specimens. This publication also describes the invaluable resources that exist in the USDANC, such as data on nematode hosts, origin, occurrence, and distribution. This information could be used to advance and stabilize the systematics or classification of nematodes. This paper and the associated collection will serve as a valuable asset for identifying nematodes and will be used by scientists, action agencies, and extension agencies involved in nematode research and control.

Technical Abstract: A list of the deposited type specimens with references, a detailed historical background, importance, maintenance procedures and policies regarding the loan of type specimens are given for the type collection of the United States Department of Agriculture Nematode Collection. The type specimen section is one of the largest and most valuable in existence and contains 1,430 species mounted and preserved on 5, 177 metal and glass slides and 404 vials. Also, a brief description of the other constituent divisions of the collection is given with a total collection of 34,000 permanent slides and vials and 19,500 species entries. This list of deposited types is only a type specimen location reference and should not be used for the status of type species. The complete title of the reference is not given for each species--only the authors date, source, slide number(s), and author(s) of designated types other than those of the original type. This collection preserves the type specimens of nematodes to serve as a reference for identifications and further knowledge or revision of the earlier described material, and as a basic evidence for stability of names as per the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Also, this collection provides useful information on nematode hosts, occurrence and distribution.