Figure 1:
Line drawings of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp. (B, D, G, L, M: Male; A, C, E, F, H-K: Female). (A and B): Pharynx; (C and D): Anterior end; (E and F): Part of reproductive system; (G and H): Total body; (I and J): Details of the stalk at the tail tip; (K and M): Posterior body region; (L): Spicule.
Figure 2:
Light photomicrographs of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp. (A-C, E, G-K, female; D, F, F1, F2, male). (A): Part of pharynx; (B-D): Anterior end; (E): Part of reproductive system; (G and H): Vulva; (F, I-K): Posterior body region; (F1): Spicule; (F2, I1-K1): Details of the stalk at the tail tip. (Scale bars: B-D, F1, F2, G, H, I1-K1 = 5 µm; A, E, F, I-K = 10 µm).
Figure 3:
Scanning electronic microscopy of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp., female. (A-C): Details of anterior end; (D): Secretory-excretory pore; (E): Lateral field; (F): Vulva in ventral view; (G and H): Tail in ventro-lateral and ventral views; (I-L): Details of the stalk at the tail tip. (Scale bars = 3 µm)
Table 1.
Morphometric characteristics of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp.
| Characteristics | Holotype female | Paratype females | Paratype male |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | ‒ | 21 | 1 |
| L (micron) | 916 | 898 ± 67 (750–987) | 696 |
| a | 48.2 | 42.6 ± 3.0 (37.0–48.2) | 43.5 |
| b | 11.2 | 11.6 ± 0.6 (10.8–12.7) | 10.4 |
| b′ | 4.4 | 4.7 ± 0.4 (4.1–5.7) | 4.9 |
| c | 22.3 | 24.3 ± 2.3 (20.8–30.8) | 17.8 |
| c′ | 3.4 | 3.2 ± 0.4 (2.5–3.8) | 2.4 |
| V or T % | 71.2 | 70.0 ± 1.1 (67.1–71.9) | 58.2 |
| Cephalic region width | 7 | 6.8 ± 0.4 (6–7) | 6.5 |
| Cephalic region height | 2.5 | 2.8 ± 0.5 (2–4) | 3 |
| Stylet length | 12.5 | 11.8 ± 0.6 (10.0–12.5) | 12 |
| Conus length | 6 | 4.9 ± 0.5 (4–6) | 5 |
| m | 48 | 41.7 ± 3.2 (34.8–50.0) | 41.7 |
| Anterior end to valves of median bulb | 63 | 62.0 ± 4.1 (53–67) | 56 |
| MB | 76.8 | 80.0 ± 2.5 (76.5–84.4) | 83.6 |
| Anterior end to nerve ring | 100 | 97.0 ± 6.8 (80–106) | 82 |
| Anterior end to pharyngeal intestinal junction | 82 | 77.0 ± 5.5 (65–85) | 67 |
| Anterior end to posterior of pharyngeal glands | 206 | 192 ± 17.6 (150–217) | 143 |
| Overlap | 124 | 115.7 ± 14.2 (83–141) | 76 |
| Median bulb width | 15 | 12.0 ± 1.3 (10–15) | 10.5 |
| Median bulb length | 17 | 16.0 ± 1.3 (13–18) | 15 |
| Diam. at median bulb | 15 | 16.0 ± 0.9 (14–17) | ‒ |
| Max. diam. | 19 | 21.0 ± 2.1 (16–25) | 16 |
| Median bulb length/diam. ratio | 1.1 | 1.4 ± 0.1 (1.1–1.6) | 1.4 |
| Anterior to SE-pore | 102 | 100 ± 7.4 (87–112) | 86 |
| Anterior end-vulva | 652 | 628 ± 50.4 (520–700) | ‒ |
| Post-vulval uterine sac (PUS) | 100 | 91.0 ± 14.2 (63–125) | ‒ |
| Vulva to anus distance | 308 | 238 ± 73.4 (139–388) | ‒ |
| PUS/vulva to anus (%) | 32.5 | 41.3 ± 11.6 (23.2–63.1) | ‒ |
| PUS/L (%) | 10.9 | 10.2 ± 1.3 (7.6–12.7) | ‒ |
| Diam. at anus or cloaca | 12 | 12.0 ± 1.1 (9–13) | 16 |
| Tail | 41 | 37.0 ± 3.6 (30–44) | 39 |
| Spicules (arc) | ‒ | ‒ | 17 |
| Spicules (chord) | 16.6 | ||
| Calamus | ‒ | ‒ | 7 |
| Spicules width | ‒ | ‒ | 5 |
Figure 4:
Bayesian 50% majority rule consensus tree of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp. based on LSU rDNA D2-D3 sequences under GTR + I + G model. Bayesian posterior probability values more than 0.50 are given for appropriate clades. The new sequences are indicated in bold.
Figure 5:
The close-up view (pruned tree) showing the clade L in the original Bayesian 50% majority rule consensus tree of Laimaphelenchus africanus n. sp. based on LSU rDNA D2-D3 sequences under GTR + I + G model. Data on stalk type, vulval flap status and lateral lines number for the currently sequenced species are given in right.
