Madina Rasulova Molecular Systematics of Nematodes Page 1

INTRODUCTION
Nematodes belonging to the genus of Belonolaimus – also known as sting nematodes – are
economically important ectoparasites of corn causing severe damage by trimming the lateral roots of corn
seedlings even if their number is as low as 1-10 per 100 CC of soil. Belonolaimus longicaudatus has a
wide host range including vegetables (e.g., beans, carrot, corn, crucifers, potato), fruits (e.g., citrus,
strawberry), agronomic crops (e.g., cotton, peanut, sorghum, soybean), turfgrasses (e.g., bermudagrass, St.
Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass) and forest crops (pine trees). Currently nine species of this genus (Table 1)
are recognized (Fortuner and Luc, 1987).
Table 1. The list of species belonging to the genus Belonolaimus.
№ Species of genus Belomolaimus Authors
1 Belonolaimus anama (Monteiro and Lordello, 1977) Fortuner and Luc, 1987
2 Belonolaimus euthychilus Rau, 1963
3 Belonolaimus gracilis Steiner, 1949
4 Belonolaimus jara (Monteiro and Lordello, 1977) Fortuner and Luc, 1987
5 Belonolaimus lineatus Roman, 1964
6 Belonolaimus lolii Siviour, 1978
7 Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau, 1958
8 Belonolaimus maritimus Rau, 1963
9 Belonolaimus nortoni Rau, 1963
Sting nematodes are relatively large worms (between 1.0 – 3.0 mm). B.longicaudatus (Table 2)
possesses such characteristics as long, slender stylet of which cone constitutes 70-80% of the total stylet
length (Fig. 1, A), oesophageal glands overlapping beginning of intestine, female tail cylindroid with a
broadly rounded terminus, lateral fields (Fortuner and Luc, 1987). These worms are widely distributed in
Madina Rasulova Molecular Systematics of Nematodes Page 2