Pratylenchus pratensis

  

Contents

  

Rev 04/20/2026

Meadow Nematode Classification Hosts
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Pratylenchus Menu Economic Importance Damage
Distribution Management
Return to Pratylenchidae Menu Feeding  References
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Classification:

       Chromadorea
       Rhabditida
       Tylenchina
        Tylenchoidea
         Pratylenchidae
          Pratylenchinae

           Pratylenchus pratensis (de Man, 1880) Filipjev, 1936

The type species of the genus

ynonyms:

Tylenchus pratensis de Man, 1880

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Morphology and Anatomy:

  • Nematode is 0.4-0.5mm long.

  • All stages are vermiform

  • Lip region is generally low and flat; tail conical and rounded.

  • Short ventral overlap of esophagus over intestine.

Females: 

  • Monovarial, uterus prodelphic.

  • Females are slender.
Diagnostic characteristics of the species inslude the stylet length, position of the vulva, shape of the spermatheca, shape of the tail, tail annuli, tail tip, and the presence of males (Martin, 2026)

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

Europe, South Africa, India. Heavier soils, meadows, permanent pasture.

Reported from 18 states in the USA. However, a COI DNA barcoding survey failed to find P. pratensis in the Great Plains region of North America and it was not found in a survey of natural and agricultural ecosystems in California (Alvarez-Ortega et al., 2026; Martin, 2026; Ozbayrak et al., 2019).

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Economic Importance:

A-rated pest in California Nematode Pest Rating System. (Martin, 2026)

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Feeding:

    Migratory endoparasite.

 

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Hosts:

Very large host range, including many agricultural crops including alfalfa, almond, apple, avocado, cotton, celery, beet, blackberry, broccoli, citrus, fig, grape, lettuce, olive, pear, potato, rice, spinach, stone fruit (cherry and plum), strawberry, sweet potato, tomato, and walnut. The host also includes many ornamentals, grasses, and trees.

For an extensive host range list for this species, click


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Life Cycle:

Like other Pratylenchus species, P. pratensis has six life stages: egg, four juvenile stages, and adult. Reproduction is amphimictic, reqquiring both females and males, and males occur commonly in populations. First-stage juveniles develop within the egg, followed by a first molt to the second-stage juvenile, which hatches from the egg. . All post-hatch stages are motile and can infect plants. Generally, root lesion nematodes have a life cycle of 45-65 days, but the duration is affected by temperature and moisture. Pratylenchus spp. survive the winter in infected roots or soil as eggs, juveniles, or adults.

Ecophysiological Parameters:

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

 

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Damage:

Aboveground symptoms are non-spedific: poor growth and lack of responsiveness to irrigation and fertilizer, signs of a weakened root system.

 Within the root, nematodes feed on cortical tissue, causing necrosis, cell breakdown, and formation of cavities. Necrotic areas spead as lesions  expand as the nematodes move lengthwise in the roots. Nematodes may leave the root, enter the soil, and re-enter the root at a different site, causing a new infection. Loss of feeder roots leads to a loss in vigor and yield. (Chitambar et al., 2018; Martin, 2026).

Tissues in root systems damaged by P. pratensis are predisposed to secondary infections by fungi and bacteria (Castillo and Vovlas, 2007).

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Management:

Quarantine and Phystosanitary:

Species of Pratylenchus and other endoparasites are easily distributed locally, nationally and internationally in rooted cuttings, nursery stock and ornamental plants.

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

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

 

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References:

Alvarez-Ortega, S., Michaud, A. and Subbotin, S.A., 2026. Diversity of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of the Genus Pratylenchus (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) in California: Descriptions of Two New Species and Insights from Phylogenetic Analyses. Diversity, 18(1)45

Castillo, P. and Vovlas, N. 2007. Pratylenchus (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae): Diagnosis, Biology, Pathogenicity and Management; Nematology Monographs and Perspectives; Brill: Leiden, The Netherlands; Vol. 6, 530p.

Chitambar, J. J., Westerdahl, B. B., and Subbotin, S. A. 2018. Plant Parasitic Nematodes in California Agriculture. In Subbotin, S., Chitambar J. (eds) Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Sustainable Agriculture of North America. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham.

Martin, H.J. 2026. California Pest Rating Proposal for Pratylenchus pratensis (de Man) Filipjev, 1936. Meadow nematode. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, California, USA,

Ozbayrak, M., Todd, T., Harris, T., Higgins, R., Powers, K., Mullin, P., Sutton, L. and Powers, T., 2019. A COI DNA barcoding survey of Pratylenchus species in the Great Plains Region of North America. Journal of Nematology. 51:1-21

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: April 20, 2026.