Phylogenetic relationships of Telotylenchidae Siddiqi, 1960 and Merliniidae Siddiqi, 1971 (Nematoda: Tylenchida) from Iran, as inferred from the analysis of the D2D3 expansion fragments of 28S rRNA gene sequences

Sixteen species,Amplimerlinius globigerus,A. macrurus,Bitylenchus parvus,Merlinius brevidens,M. nanus,Neodolichorhynchus phaseoli,Paramerlinius neohexagrammus,Pratylenchoides alkani,P. ritteri,P. utahensis,Scutylenchus paniculoides,S. rugosus,S. tartuensis,Scutylenchussp. A,Trophurus imparandTylenchorhynchus brassicae, from the families Telotylenchidae and Merliniidae were collected from different locations in Iran and molecularly characterised using sequencing of the D2D3 expansion fragments of the 28S rRNA gene. Morphometrics and light micrography for studied species are also provided as vouchers. The phylogenetic relationships of Telotylenchidae and Merliniidae with other representatives of the order Tylenchida, as obtained from Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood analysis of partial 28S rRNA gene sequences, are presented and discussed. The results of phylogenetic analysis were in accordance with classifications in whichBitylenchusandScutylenchusare considered as separate genera, butTessellusandTelotylenchuswere synonyms ofTylenchorhynchus. The Shimodaira-Hasegawa test of the 28S rRNA gene sequence alignment and trees rejected a large genus concept ofTylenchorhynchusand the constrained monophyly for Belonolaimidae revealed within this family two genera groups:i) BelonolaimusandIbipora; andii) CarphodorusandMorulaimus. The present results also support the combination ofPratylenchoidesand Merliniinae into a single family, the Merliniidae.