First Report of Anguina pacificae Parasitizing Turfgrass in Washington

The Pacific shoot-gall nematode (Anguina pacificae) is an economically important pest of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) putting greens in the coastal areas of northern and central California. In December 2024, diagnostic samples submitted to the Oregon State University Turfgrass Diagnostic Clinic (Corvallis, OR) from a golf course tee box in Clark County, Washington contained A. pacificae. Visual symptoms of chlorotic patches and dieback of the turf surface were observed, as well as swellings in the crowns that contained second-stage juveniles (J2). Morphological features as well as morphometric measurements of J2 were consistent with A. pacificae. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (COX1) gene regions confirmed the species identity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. pacificae parasitizing turfgrass in Washington.