Morphological and molecular characterization of Bitylenchus hispaniensis (Nematoda: Telotylenchidae) from Iran

During a survey on the biodiversity of plant-parasitic nematodes in Khuzestan province (southwest Iran), Bitylenchus hispaniensis was discovered around the rhizosphere of the euphrates poplar tree. The morphological and morphometric data were provided for the recovered species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. hispaniensis from Iran and for the first time in association with euphrates poplar worldwide. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the Iranian population of B. hispaniensis using the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS rDNA) sequences using Bayesian inference (BI), showed a maximally supported clade with other sequences of the species.