New Record of Host Plant for Radopholus similis Isolated from Staurogyne sp.

Radopholus similis belong to the plant parasitic nematode family, Pratylenchidae and was recognized that injure the plant. R. similis was generally identified from bananas and plantain in the tropics. However, the occurrence of infection of R. similis on new host plant was confirmed recently. The aim of this study was to report the determination of new host plant for R. similis on Staurogyne sp. The species identification was evaluated the morphological and molecular characteristics of nine R. similis. Molecular assay was designed from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of ribosomal DNA to distinguish species. Nematodes from Staurogyne sp. showed almost similar morphological and morphometric characteristics in general R. similis, but some variation in tail shape was confirmed. Also, male was not detectable. Molecular assay showed a high level (97%) of similarity in the TW81-AB28 and 18S-28S sequences (ITS region) with corresponding NCBI sequence. The quarantine should be more intensely to detect the prohibited nematode.