Pratylenchus codiaei
S.P. Singh and V.K. Jain, 1984


 16 females (Paratypes):  L = 0.52 (0.47-0.56)mm; a = 18.4 (15.7-21.6); b = 6.4 (5.3-7.5); b' = 4.8 (4.0-5.6); c = 17.5 (16.0-18.5); c’ = 1.8 (1.6-2.2); V = 80 (78-82); G1 = 49.5 (32-61); Spear = 15 (14-16)um.
 Female (Holotype):  L = 0.516 mm; a = 19.8; b = 7.0; b’ = 4.7; c = 17.2; c’ = 2.0; V = 79.06; G1 = 45.1; Spear = um.

 Body almost straight except near the vulva where it is slightly bent ventrally and tapering slightly towards extremeties.  Cuticle finely striated, striations 1.2-1.4 um apart at mid body. Lateral fields with four incisures and occupy 1/4th of the body width.  At the level of the metenchium, the origin place of the lateral field, there are three incisures which become four behind nerve ring and continue up to tail tip.
 Head with two annules, rounded, continuous with body, 7-9 um wide and 2.5-4.0 um high.  Cephalic framework strongly sclerotized and extends posteriorly up to one body annule.  Two pairs of cephalids (not seen in Holotype), first pair one annule behind the lip, second pair seven annules behind the lip or at the level of the spear knobs.  Spear strongly developed, metenchium 7-9 um long, basal knobs rounded, 3-5 um across.  Orifice of the dorsal oesophageal gland 2-4 um from spear base.  Procorpus cylindrical, 28.5 (23-34) um long.  Median oesophageal bulb spherical, 11-15 x 9-13 um.  Oesophageal glands 44 (35-52) um long, overlapping the intestine ventrally for more than one body width as a long narrow lobe.  Oesophago-intestinal junction more or less at the level of excretory pore.  Nerve ring placed at 62 (55-70) um from anterior end, close to median oesophageal bulb.  Excretory pore posterior to the nerve ring, 78.5 (70-88) um from anterior end.  Hemizonid 3 annules wide, immediately anterior to the excretory pore.
 Vulva transverse, with small lips.  Vagina slightly anteriorly directed, 7-9 um long, occupying one-quarter to one-third of corresponding body width.  Reproductive system monodelphic, prodelphic, outstretched and may extend up to median oesophageal bulb.  Oocytes arranged in a single row except in maturation zone.  Spermatheca spherical without sperms.  Post-vulval uterine sac short, 12-16 um long, less that one body width or 14-20 per cent of the distance between vulva and anus.  Vulva-anus distance 78 (68-88) um or about two and one-half times tail length.  Tail small, subcylindrical, 28 (23-34) um long having 20 (18-22) annules, with smooth rounded to slightly conoid terminus.  Phasmids in the posterior half of the tail.

 Male:  Unknown
 Habitat:  From around the soil and within the roots of garden croton (Cordiaeum variegatum).
 Locality:  Alambagh, Lucknow, India.
 Type Specimens:  Holotype and Paratype slides are in possession of authors.
 Differential diagnosis and relationship:  According to the key of Loof (1978) the new species comes closer to Pratylenchus scribneri Steiner, 1943, P. neglectus (Rensch, 1924) Filipjev and Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1941 and P. agilis Thorne and Malek, 1968.  Although ranges of V ratios of above species overlap, yet their mean values are different enough to allow differentiation of one species from one another (Roman and Hirschman, 1969).
 From P. scribneri, the present species differs in having stouter body, differently shaped head, longer oesophageal glands, posteriorly located vulva, shorter vulva-anus distance, shorter post-vulval uterine sac and lesser tail annules (in P. scribneri, a = 20-29, head offset, oesophageal glands 35 (26-41) um long, V = 74-82 with average never more than 77, vulva-anus distance 3 times tail length, post-vulval uterine sac longer than vulval body width and tail annules 23 (21-25).
 It differs from P. neglectus in having shorter spear with rounded knobs, anteriorly placed vulva, differently shaped tail and lateral fields without oblique striae (spear = 15-19 um, spear knobs indented on anterior surface, V = 75-86 with average always more than 81.5, tail almost conical and lateral fields with oblique striae in central zone in P. neglectus).
 The new species can be differentiated from P. agilis in having stouter body, shorter spear, round spermatheca and posteriorly placed vulva (a = 24, spear = 16-18 um, Spermatheca absent and V = 76 in P. agilis).