First Report of Anguina pacificae Parasitizing Turfgrass in Washington

The Pacific shoot-gall nematode ( Anguina pacificae ) is an economically important pest of annual bluegrass ( Poa annua L. ) putting greens in the coastal areas of northern and central California. In December 2024, diagnostic samples submitted to the Oregon State University Turfgrass Diagnostic Clinic (Corvallis, OR) from a golf course tee box in Clark County, Washington contained A. pacificae . Visual symptoms of chlorotic patches and dieback of the turf surface were observed, as well as swellings in the crowns that contained second-stage juveniles (J2). Morphological features as well as morphometric measurements of J2 were consistent with A. pacificae . Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (COX1) gene regions confirmed the species identity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. pacificae parasitizing turfgrass in Washington.