Morphological and molecular characterisation of three species of Paratylenchus Micoletzky, 1922 (Tylenchida: Paratylenchidae) from China, with a first description of the male P. rostrocaudatus

In a recent survey of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with forest in China, three species of Paratylenchus , including P. aculentus , P. leptos and P. rostrocaudatus , were found. Paratylenchus leptos and P. rostrocaudatus are new records for China and the male of P. rostrocaudatus is described for the first time. Morphological descriptions, morphometrics and light microscopic photos are provided for these three species. Molecular characterisation of these species using ribosomal RNA (rRNA) D2-D3 expansion domains of large subunit (LSU D2-D3), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and small subunit (SSU) sequences are also given. Except for the ITS sequence of P. aculentus , other sequences were amplified for the first time. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Paratylenchus are discussed as inferred from the analyses of LSU D2-D3, ITS and SSU.