On the species status of Laimaphelenchus hyrcanus and L. belgradiensis

Summary

Laimaphelenchus belgradiensis and L. hyrcanus species, both recently described, were morphologically, morphometrically and molecularly compared based on original descriptions, including photomicrographs and drawings. Although L. belgradiensis males were not found, all female morphological and morphometric characters are comparable for the two Laimaphelenchus species. The shape and structure of the tail tip, currently considered to be one of the most important morphological character used for differentiation within the genus, does not differ between L. belgradiensis and L. hyrcanus: four pedunculated tubercles in a square position, ending in 9‐10/10‐12 finger‐like protrusions. Additionally, the D2‐D3 expansion segments of the large subunit of ribosomal RNA were also very similar, with only three differences in alignment. Thus, this study proposes the taxonomic status of L. belgradiensis as a junior synonym of L. hyrcanus.