Meloidogyne megatyla n. sp. a Root-Knot Nematode from Loblolly Pine

Meloidogyne megatyla n. sp. is described from Pinus taeda in North Carolina. Stylet knobs are distinctively high in proportion to width, giving an especially massive appearance to the knobs of larvae and males. Mean larval length is 416 mum and stylet length is 14.6 mum. The perineal pattern is composed of smooth striae, with a high arch, and is often somewhat rectangular. The relationship of M. megatyla to other Meloidogyne species is unclear, although a comparison is made with Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne mali. Galling was slight; only about 50 eggs were produced per egg mass, and under greenhouse conditions a single generation may take more than 10 weeks. Meloidogyne megatyla n. sp. did not reproduce on any of the differential hosts commonly used to distinguish among Meloidogyne species.