Description of Oscheius indicus n. sp. (Rhabditidae: Nematoda) from India

A new amphimictic species Oscheius indicus n. sp. is described and illustrated with morphological and molecular data. The species is characterized by a medium-sized and slender body (female: L = 1.1 to 1.5 mm; a = 16.8 to 20.6; b = 5.7 to 7.1; c = 7.5 to 10.4; c’ = 5.0 to 7.6; V = 45 to 51%), presence of four incisures each in the lateral fields with three minute warts, long rectum (2 to 3 anal body diameters), nine pairs of papillae arranged as 1+1+1/3+3 pattern, a prominent double-flapped epipytigma on vulval opening, presence of open leptoderan bursa and crochet needle-shaped spicules place it in the insectivora group. Morphologically, O. indicus n. sp. closely resembles O. carolinensis, O. chongmingensis, O. colombiana, and O. nadarajani. Molecular phylogenetic analysis carried out using ITS and D2/D3 expansion region of 28S rDNA sequences suggests that O. indicus n. sp. is closer to O. chongmingensis and O. rugaonensis. In summary, the morphometrical data, morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analysis suggested that O. indicus n. sp. is sufficiently different from any known species and is therefore proposed as a new species within the insectivora group.