Meloidogyne kralli Jepson

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne kralli Jepson, 1983 is an unusual nematode in many ways: it induces very small galls on Cyperaceae hosts and it prefers very wet sandy, peat and silt soils. So far this species has been reported from Estonia, Russia, Poland & UK. It was even reported parasitizing on Carex acuta L. from an Alpine peat-moor in Switzerland at 660 meters altitude!

The SEM picture shows a young adult asymmetrical shaped female with the vulva-anus region on top of a well developed posterior protuberance. The vulva-anus region includes a perineal pattern, usually clearly visible in female members of the genus Meloidogyne. However in M. kralli this typical root-knot nematode character is hardly visible. The second-stage juveniles of this species are morphologically close related to the in Europe common root-knot nematode M. naasi Franklin, 1965, a parasite of grasses and cereals.