Morphological and molecular characterisation of Bursaphelenchus acaciae n. sp. (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae) found in acacia wood chips from Vietnam

Summary Bursaphelenchus acaciae n. sp. isolated from acacia wood chips from Vietnam is described. It is characterised by a stout body (a = 25-34), lateral field with four lines, excretory pore located at level of metacorpal valve or anterior, vulva at 74% of total body length, a distinct vulval flap in lateral view, post-uterine branch ca two-thirds of vulva-anus distance, female tail conical and slightly ventrally bent with irregular or roughened terminus (c′ = 3.9), spicules large and arcuate, with pointed rostrum, cucullus reduced to a small blunt extension, three pairs of ventro-sublateral papillae and a single small precloacal papilla present. It belongs to the xylophilus group of the genus Bursaphelenchus and is most similar to B. acaloleptae , B. koreanus , B. luxuriosae and B. paraluxuriosae . Detailed phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 18S, ITS and 28S D2-D3 regions confirmed the status of this nematode as a new species.