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A New Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne baetica n. sp. (Nematoda: Heteroderidae), Parasitizing Wild Olive in Southern Spain

First author: Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Apdo. 4084, 14080 Córdoba, Spain; second and fourth authors: Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Sezione di Bari, Nematologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, (CNR), Via G. Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy; and third author: Institute of Parasitology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii prospect 33, Moscow 117071, Russia

High infection rates of wild olive (Olea europaea sp. sylvestris) feeder roots and soil infestation by a new root-knot nematode were found in sandy soil at Vejer de la Frontera (Cádiz), southern Spain. Morphometric traits and analyses of the nematode esterase electrophoretic pattern as well as of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)-5.8S gene and D2-D3 fragment of the 28S gene of rDNA showed that specimens differed clearly from known root-knot nematodes. Studies of host-parasite relationships showed a typical susceptible reaction in naturally infected wild olive plants and in olive planting stocks (cvs. Arbequina and Picual) artificially inoculated with the nematode. However, the nematode did not reproduce in artificially inoculated chickpea, pea, and tomato. Because of the ability of this new nematode to infect wild and cultivated olives only, we suggest the common name, “Mediterranean olive root-knot nematode.” The species is herein described and illustrated, and named as Meloidogyne baetica n. sp. The new root-knot nematode can be distinguished from other Meloidogyne spp. by (i) the perineal pattern, which is almost similar to that of M. artiellia, characterized by distinct inner striae forming two distinct longitudinal bands, extending throughout the perineum to just below the vulva; (ii) female excretory pore anterior to the level of stylet knobs, excretory pore distance from anterior end/length of stylet ratio extremely small (0.5 to 0.8); and (iii) second-stage juveniles with elongate-conoid tail. Phylogenetic trees derived from maximum parsimony analyses showed that M. baetica is closely related to M. artiellia, the cereal and legume root-knot nematode.

Additional keywords: esterase pattern, histopathology, host suitability, phylogenetic relationship.