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Issue: Vol. 5839 No. 3: 30 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-30
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5839.3.7
Page range: 547-562
Abstract views: 50
PDF downloaded: 4

Characteristics of Helicotylenchus crassatus Anderson, 1973 from Central Europe in the context of similarities to H. digonicus Perry in Perry, Darling & Thorne, 1959 (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae)

Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS; Twarda 51/55; 00-818 Warsaw; Poland
Nematoda morphology mtcoI phylogeny ribosomal dNa spiral nematodes taxonomy

Abstract

Originally, Helicotylenchus crassatus was described by Anderson in 1973 as most similar to Helicotylenchus digonicus. Reports generated over the years question the validity of the two species, as their morphometry and most of the morphological features overlap. Additionally, the molecular data revealed the representatives of H. crassatus cluster with one of the two main lineages of the polyphyletic H. digonicus. So far, H. crassatus has neither been reported from Poland nor from other parts of Europe, while H. digonicus has been recognized as a commonly occurring species in Poland and associated with many plants. The studies of three Helicotylenchus populations from Poland, initially identified as H. cf. digonicus revealed their high molecular and morphological resemblance to the recently characterized populations of H. crassatus from Canada. Therefore, this work extends the characteristics of H. crassatus, expands its occurrence to the European continent and discusses it in the context of the similarities with H. digonicus, with which it is often confused.

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How to Cite

Rybarczyk-Mydłowska, K. (2026) Characteristics of Helicotylenchus crassatus Anderson, 1973 from Central Europe in the context of similarities to H. digonicus Perry in Perry, Darling & Thorne, 1959 (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae). Zootaxa, 5839 (3), 547–562. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5839.3.7