Bursaphelenchus tusciae in Tunisia associated with Hylurgus ligniperda
Summary
Bursaphelenchus tusciae is reported for the first time in Tunisia and North Africa, associated with the insect Hylurgus ligniperda Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Nematode identification was based on restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Tunisian B. tusciae clusters together with two other B. tusciae isolates forming a separate group close to B. hildegardae and B. eggersi. As H. ligniperda is among maritime pine scolytids pests in Tunisia and is widely distributed in North Africa, this study is an important contribution to the knowledge of Bursaphelenchus species associated with bark beetles of pine forests in Tunisia and North Africa.
