Meloidoderita whittoni

  

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Rev 12/17/2024

  Classification Hosts
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
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Distribution Management
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Classification:

      Chromadorea
       Rhabditida
       Tylenchina
        Tylenchuloidea
         Tylenchulidae

Sphaeronematidae or Tylenchulidae
     Meloidoderitinae

Meloidoderita whittoni (Sledge & Christie, 1962) Troccoli, Subbotin, Stanley, Alford, Vovlas & Inserra, 2017


    Synonyms:

  Sphaeronema whittoni Sledge & Christie, 1962

  Tuniota whittoni (Sledge & Christie, 1962) Siddiqi, 1986
         

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Morphology and Anatomy:

Sphaeronema whittoni was transferred to the genus Meloidoderita based on morphological and molecular analysis. However, the species has some features that suggest that it is atypical of other species of Meloidoderita. Atypical features include retention of the eggs within the body, and hardening of the body into a protective cyst that is further protected by a gelatinous matrix which encases the body and hardens. Studies thus far indicate that eggs are not deposited outside the body. Second stage juveniles of M. whittoni are semi-endoparasitic rather than endoparasitic as in other species of the genus (Troccoli et al., 2017).

 

All stages:

  • Excretory pore close to level of nerve ring. 
  • Esophageal glands free, not contained in a bulb.

Female:

  • Globose, subspherical to spherical.
  • Vulva appearing as terminal, flush with body wall, without protruding lips; anus as dorsal. 
  • Uterine wall thickened; uterus becomes distended and packed with eggs. 
  • Female body forms a protective cyst for retained eggs.

Male:

  • No stylet. 
  • Spicular sheath present.
  • Single testis.
  • No bursa
  • Tail conoid with rounded tip.

 [Ref: Raski & Luc, 1987; Troccoli et al., 2017) 

  

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

Originally described as Sphaeronema whittoni from the roots of a sweetgum tree (Liquidamber styraciflora) n north Florida, USA.

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Economic Importance:

 
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Feeding:

 Feeds as a semi-endoparasite on the roots of Liquidamber.

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Hosts:
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

Life cycle features atypical of other species of Meloidoderita include retention of the eggs within the female body and hardening of the body into a protective cyst that is further protected by a gelatinous matrix which encases the body and hardens. Studies thus far indicate that eggs are not deposited outside the body. Second stage juveniles of M. whittoni are semi-endoparasitic rather than endoparasitic as in other species of the genus (Troccoli et al., 2017).

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Damage:

 

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Management:

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:

RRaski, D.J. and Luc, M. 1987. A reappraisal of Tylenchina (Nematoda) 10. The superfamily Criconematoidea Taylor, 1936. Revue de Nematologie 10:409-444.

Troccoli, A.,Subbotin, S.A., Stanley, J.D.,  Alford, B., Vovlas, N. ansd Inserra, R.N. 2017. Meloidoderita whittoni (Sledge & Christie, 1962) comb. n. (Tylenchida: Sphaeronematidae) and its parasitic habits on sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)

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Copyright 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: December 17, 2024.