Radopholus similis, (Cobb 1893), 1949

Alvani, Somaye, Mahdikhani-Moghadam, Esmat, Rouhani, Hamid & Mohammadi, Abbas, 2016, A checklist of the family Pratylenchidae Thorne, 1949 from Iran, Zootaxa 4079 (2), pp. 179-204 : 195

1. R. similis (Cobb 1893) Thorne 1949

Syn: R. granulosus (Cobb) Siddiqi 1986

R. acutocaudatus (Zimmermann) Siddiqi 1986

R. biformis (Cobb) Siddiqi 1986

R. similis similis Cobb 1893 (Siddiqi 1986)

R. citrophilus Huettel, Dickson & Kaplan 1984

R. similis citrophilus Huettel, Dickson & Kaplan 1984 (Siddiqi 1986)

(Pourjam & Nassaj Hosseini 2005) 10♀: L = 675 (605–740) µm; a = 29.5 (25.3–33.6); b = 7.6 (7–8.4); b' = 4.5 (4.1–5); c = 9.8 (9–10.5); c' = 4.1 (3.5–4.8); St = 16.9 (16–17.5) µm; V = 57.4 (54.5–59)

1♂: L= 600 µm; a = 33.3; b = 7.5; b' = 5.5; c = 9.2; c' = 5; St = 12 µm; Spicule = 20 µm

Associated plants and localities. Apple (East Azerbaijan) and banana (Gilan).

References. Barooti 1998; Pourjam & Nassaj Hosseini 2005 [F].

Remarks. This is a very important species recorded from northwestern and northern Iran. There is no difference between Iranian population and original description. The Iranian population of R. similis (Pourjam & Nassaj Hosseini 2005) is characterized by having a labial region with four annuli, long pharyngeal glands overlapping intestine dorsally, rounded spermatheca and elongate–conoid tail (Phasmids in anterior region of the tail).

Two host races were recognised but later split into two separate species based on morphological, biochemical and cytological differences: R. similis that does not infect citrus and R. citrophilus that can (Huettel & Yaegashi 1988). However, these two species are again respectively classified as the “banana race” and “citrus race” within R. similis . Thus, R. citrophilus has become a junior synonym of R. similis .