A NEW AND A KNOWN SPECIES OF TELOTYLENCHINAE ( lYLENCHIDA : BELONOLAIMIDAE ) FROM WEST BENGAL , INDIA

A few specimens of Trophurus clavicaudatus sp. n. and Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir, 1959 were collected from soil around the roots of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) at South 24Parganas district, West Bengal, India. Among 14 valid species of Trophurus Loof, 1956, as listed by Siddiqi (2000), only 4 species have been described and reported from India and other 10 species have been reported from Europe, Africa, North and South America. The different species of the genus were described from Maharastra (Suryawanshi, 1971), Mysore (Khan and Nanjappa, 1971), Punjab (Saha et al., 1973) and from Madhya Pradesh (Ganguly and Khan, 1983) from the soil around the roots of cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.), coconut plam (Cocos mucifera L.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) and betel vine (Piper betel L.) respectively in India. Kleynhans and Cadet (1994) provided a dichotomous key to the species of Trophurus Loof, 1956. This is the first report of the genus from West Bengal, India. Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi was described by Siddiqi and Basir (1959) from soil around the roots of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) from Southern India and this was the first record of the genus Tylenchorhynchus Cobb, 1913 in India. Baqri and Jairajpuri (1970) reported T. mashhoodi from cotton and other plants and from sugarcane from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh respectively with a study of intra specific variation. Singh and Khera (1978) reported the species from Narendrapur, Baruipur block, South 24-Parganas and from Howrah district, West Bengal. Chaturvedi and Khera (1979) recorded it as a parasite of jute plant from different district of West Bengal. Ahmad and Baqri (1987), Baqri (1991) reported the species from soil around the roots of paddy (Oryza sativa) at Burdwan district, West Bengal and from citrus (Citrus reticulate) in Skkim respectively. These prove the wide distribution of the species in West Bengal as well as in India.


INTRODUCTION
A few specimens of Trophurus clavicaudatus sp.n. and Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir, 1959 were collected from soil around the roots of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) at South 24-Parganas district, West Bengal, India.Among 14 valid species of Trophurus Loof, 1956, as listed by Siddiqi (2000), only 4 species have been described and reported from India and other 10 species have been reported from Europe, Africa, North and South America.The different species of the genus were described from Maharastra (Suryawanshi, 1971), Mysore (Khan and Nanjappa, 1971), Punjab (Saha et al., 1973) and from Madhya Pradesh (Ganguly and Khan, 1983) from the soil around the roots of cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.), coconut plam (Cocos mucifera L.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) and betel vine (Piper betel L.) respectively in India.Kleynhans and Cadet (1994) provided a dichotomous key to the species of Trophurus Loof, 1956.This is the first report of the genus from West Bengal, India.Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi was described by Siddiqi and Basir (1959) from soil around the roots of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) from Southern India and this was the first record of the genus Tylenchorhynchus Cobb, 1913 in India.Baqri and Jairajpuri (1970) reported T. mashhoodi from cotton and other plants and from sugarcane from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh respectively with a study of intra specific variation.Singh and Khera (1978) reported the species from Narendrapur, Baruipur block, South 24-Parganas and from Howrah district, West Bengal.Chaturvedi and Khera (1979) recorded it as a parasite of jute plant from different district of West Bengal.Ahmad and Baqri (1987), Baqri (1991) reported the species from soil around the roots of paddy (Oryza sativa) at Burdwan district, West Bengal and from citrus (Citrus reticulate) in Skkim respectively.These prove the wide distribution of the species in West Bengal as well as in India.
Males: Similar to females in general morphology except the following.Tail gradually tapering to a pointed terminus in lateral view, 2.4-2.9 anal bodydiameters long.Phasmids slightly anterior to the middle of tail.Testes outstretched.Spicules 1.3-1.6 anal body-diameters long.Gubernaculum developed, 1/2.3-1/2.8 of spicule length.Bursa 3.4-3.8anal body-widths long, completely enveloping tail Type habitat and locality: Collected from soil around the roots of litchi at South Kalyanpur, Baruipur block, South 24-parganas on 13. 12. 2004.Apart from these, T. clavicaudatus sp.n. shows remarkable resemblance with T. minnesotensis (Caveness, 1958) Caveness, 1958 in different body measurements and ratios.Even of those similarities, the new species differs from T. minnesotensis in having significantly lesser 'c' value in both female and male, clavate tail in female, anteriorly placed vulva, longer post-uterine sac and spear (in T. minnesotensis, c = 18 in female and 35 in male; tail broadly rounded in female; V = 58%; post-uterine sac 2 or 3 rudimentary terminal cells and spear = 14.0~m).Siddiqi and Basir, 1959 (Figure 3)
Males : Similar to females in general morphology except the following.Tail conoid with acute terminus in lateral view, 2.2-2.3 anal bodydiameters long.Testis single, outstretched.Spicules cephalated, 1.3-1.4anal body-widths long.Gubernaculum short, about half of the spicule length.Copulatory bursa large with crenate margins, completely enveloping tail.

Remarks:
The present specimens conform well to the type specimens and all other reported specimens of Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir, 1959 from different parts of India.
Habitat and locality: Collected from soil around the roots of litchi at South Kalyanpur of Baruipur block, South 24-parganas on 13. 12. 2004.

SUMMARY
A few specimens of Trophurus clavicaudatus sp.n. and Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir,1959 were collected from soil around the roots of litchi at South 24-Parganas district, West Bengal, India.The new species has been characterized by its club-shaped tail and can be differentiated from other species of the genus.It comes closer to T. similis Khan and Nanjappa, 1971,

T
.lomus Saha, Chawla &Khan, 1973 and T. impar   Ganguly andKhan, 1983 among the species described from India.Apart from these, T. clavicaudatus sp.n. also shows remarkable resemblance with T. minnesotensis(Caveness, 1958)    Caveness, 1958 described from outside India having dear differences in body ratios and measurements.This is the first report of the genus Trophurus from Rec. zool.Suru.India the West Bengal, India.The present specimens of Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi conform well to the earlier reports.T. mashhoodi is widely distributed in West Bengal as well as in India.

Table 1 .
Morphometric data on Trophurus clavicaudatus sp.n. (All measurements are in /-Lm except L and body ratios, L in mm.As only one paratype female was available, minimum-maximum range, mean, SD & SE calculated on the basis of male paratypes.Number of paratypes examined given in the parenthesis)