Belonolaimus gracilis

Belonolaimus gracilis	Contents	Rev 09/12/23
	Classification	Hosts
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Belonolaimus Menu	Economic Importance	Damage
	Distribution	Management
Return to Dolichodoridae Menu	Feeding
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Classification:

Rhabditida Tylenchina Tylenchoidea Dolichodoridae
Belonolaiminae

Belonolaimus gracilis Steiner, 1949

Type species of the genus

Synonyms:
none.

Morphology and Anatomy:

Nematode is 2.0-3.0mm long; has long stylet. B. gracilis is distinguished from B. longicaudatus by shorter tail, longer spear, and greater relative width.

Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

Economic Importance:

      South-central and eastern U.S. from Virginia south to Florida (limited
      distribution in Connecticut, New Jersey, Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama).

      Migratory ectoparasite at root tip and along sides. Long stylet
      penetrates to inner cortex and endodermis; causes root tip damage,
      resulting in reduced root system with short, stubby branches.

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Hosts:

Wide host range: peanut, corn, cotton, tomato, squash, grasses on turf.
Tobacco is a non-host.

For an extensive host range list for this species, click

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Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click	If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

Nematode prefers light, sandy soils.

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Damage:

Damage caused by this nematode results mainly from devitalized root tips,
and the usual symptoms are plant wilting, stubby and/or coarse roots;
necrosis and discoloration occur less frequently. Standifier (1959)
reported B. gracilis produced lesions on bean roots which extended into
the stele, destroying xylem and phloem.

Nematode also causes plants to be more susceptible to damage from Fusarium.

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Management:

1. Rotation - additional work needed in this area - rotation to tobacco, coupled with clean cultivation, reduces population of B. gracilis.

Host Plant Resistance, Non-hosts and Crop Rotation alternatives:

For plants reported to have some level of resistance to this species, click

2. Soil fumigation with 1,3-Dichloropropene (Telone) and ethylene dibromide (EDB) was effective. Holdeman (year?) reported EDB fumigants was more effective than 1,3-D (then D-D mixture) for controlling sting nematode in South Carolina.