Pauronemoides lorestanensis n. sp. (Tylenchomorpha, Paurodontidae), from the rhizosphere of grasses in Lorestan province, western Iran

Summary Pauronemoides lorestanensis n. sp., the fifth species of the newly established genus Pauronemoides , is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. The new species was recovered from a soil sample collected from the rhizosphere of grasses in Lorestan province. It is characterised by having a medium-sized body (868-1092 μ m, females; 714, 710 μ m, males), four incisures in lateral fields, asymmetrical knobs of stylet, vulva at 87.9-90.2%, post-vulval uterine sac (PUS) absent, intestine with extension over rectum, and tail dimorphism of sexes and bursa of males reaching near tail end in lateral view. It was morphologically compared with four currently known species of the genus viz. P. siddiqii , P. iranicus , P. mucronatus and P. macrocellus , and is regarded as the cryptic form of P. iranicus , both of which could be separated using some morphological characters and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial small and large subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU, LSU D2-D3 rDNA) sequences of the new species were conducted, and the resulting topologies discussed.