Morphological and molecular characterisation of Longidorus pauli (Nematoda: Longidoridae), first report from Greece

Sampling for needle nematodes was carried out in a grapevine area in Thessaloniki, North Greece and two nematode species of Longidorus (L. pauli and L. pisi) were collected. Nematodes were extracted from 500 cm³ of soil by modified sieving and decanting method, processed to glycerol and mounted on permanent slides, and subsequently identified morphologically and molecularly. Nematode DNA was extracted from single individuals and PCR assays were conducted to amplify D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA, ITS1 rRNA, and partial mitochondrial coxI regions. Morphology and morphometry data obtained from these populations were consistent with L. pauli and L. pisi identifications. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. pauli for Greece, and the second world report after the original description from Idleb, Syria, extending the geographical distribution of this species in the Mediterranean Basin.