Abstract
Bursaphelenchus debrae n. sp. was cultured from dauer juveniles recovered
from the poison sac of a female sweat bee, Halictus brunnescens from Ankara,
Turkey, in June 2004. The new species appears to be most similar to B.
kevini and B. anatolius based upon the synapomorphies of their associations
with soil-dwelling halictid bees, morphological features such as four
lateral incisures, male caudal papillae arrangement, spicule morphology,
female tail shape and ratio a, and molecular analysis of sequences of the
D2/D3 expansion segments of the large subunit (LSU) rDNA and partial
mitochondrial DNA COI (mtCOI). In addition to significant molecular sequence
differences in LSU and COI consistent with separate species status, B.
debrae n. sp. can be differentiated from both B. kevini and B. anatolius by
differences in the host halictid bee species with which they are
phoretically associated, rostrum shape and size, and presence of a unique
protuberance on the ventral aspect of the spicules. The nematode is
mycophagous and can be cultured in the laboratory at 23°C on Monilinia
fructicola growing on lactic acid-treated, 5% glycerin-supplemented potato
dextrose agar (LGPDA).
