First report of Mesocriconema xenoplax (Nematoda: Criconematidae) from turfgrass in Portugal and in Europe

In Winter 2016, root and soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere soil at 10 to 15 cm depth of turfgrass, in the yard of a complex of houses in Caxias, a region near Lisbon, Portugal. The grass (dominated by tall fescue) showed yellow patches, stunting, and poor growth. Several specimens of a ring nematode (50-60 nematodes/100 ml soil) were recovered from soil and identified as Mesocriconema xenoplax (peach ring nematode) based on morphological and morphometrical analysis of females. The observed morphological features were with previous descriptions. Species identification was confirmed through sequencing of the fragment spanning D2/D3 domain of the 28S rDNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Portuguese isolate grouped with M. xenoplax isolates (98% similarity), supporting its identification as M. xenoplax. This is the first report of M. xenoplax from turfgrass in Portugal and in Europe contributing with additional information on the distribution of this phytoparasite.