ABSTRACT A population of stunt nematodes (P36) was isolated from the soils of vegetable fields from Meerut district, India. Based on morphological, morphometric and molecular studies, the nematodes were identified as Merlinius brevidens. The Indian strains are characterised by having females with a body length of 0.57–0.64 mm and males 0.54–0.68 mm; lip region set off with of 4–7 annules and with six lips; stylet 13–14 µm long with prominent, posteriorly sloping knobs; vulva equatorial (V = 54–58); phasmids distinct, located in the anterior half of the tail; female tail (41–54 µm long, c = 11.3–15.0 µm, c’ = 2.8–4.9) sub-cylindrical with 27–32 annules and terminus hemispherical, almost smooth, slightly set off, bluntly rounded to sometimes acute to bulb-like; male tail (45–52 µm long, c = 11.2–14.7, c’ = 3.2–4.7) bearing well-developed bursa; spicules 18–23 µm long; gubernaculum 5–6 µm long. The Indian strain agrees well with the type material described from the USA. Flanking region D2–D3 segment of 28S rRNA of M. brevidens yielded 874 bp. We also sequenced for the first time the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rRNA of M. brevidens, which yielded 876 bp. The results of the phylogenetic studies supported the morphological and molecular data.

中文翻译：

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来自印度的 Merlinius brevidens (Allen, 1955) Siddiqi, 1970 (Nematoda: Rhabditida: Merlinidae) 的形态学和分子特征

摘要 从印度 Meerut 地区的菜地土壤中分离出一群特技线虫 (P36)。基于形态学、形态计量学和分子学研究，线虫被鉴定为 Merlinius brevidens。印度品系的特征是雌性体长为 0.57-0.64 毫米，雄性体长为 0.54-0.68 毫米；唇区以4-7个环和6个唇为界；管心针长 13-14 µm，有突出的、向后倾斜的突起；外阴赤道 (V = 54–58); 不同的噬粒体，位于尾部的前半部；雌性尾巴（41-54 µm 长，c = 11.3-15.0 µm，c' = 2.8-4.9）亚圆柱形，有 27-32 个环和半球形的末端，几乎光滑，略微突出，钝圆，有时尖锐到球茎 -喜欢; 雄性尾巴（45–52 µm 长，c = 11.2–14.7，c' = 3.2–4.7）带有发达的囊；针状体长 18–23 µm；gubernaculum 5-6 µm 长。印度菌株与美国描述的类型材料非常吻合。M. brevidens 28S rRNA 的侧翼区域 D2-D3 片段产生 874 bp。我们还首次对 M. brevidens 的内部转录间隔区 (ITS) rRNA 进行了测序，产生了 876 bp。系统发育研究的结果支持形态学和分子数据。