title: An updated list of the plants associated with plant-parasitic Aphelenchoides (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) and its implications for plant-parasitism within this genus.
abstract: Few Aphelenchoides spp. are facultative plant-parasites (foliar and bulb nematodes); three of them are well known in agricultural systems, namely Aphelenchoides besseyi, A. fragariae and A. ritzemabosi. Ten other plant-parasitic species, A. arachidis, A. bicaudatus, A. blastophthorus, A. dalianensis, A. ensete, A. nechaleos, A. paranechaleos, A. saprophilus, A. sphaerocephalus and A. subtenuis, have been reported from a limited number of plant species. We compiled a new database of the associated plants for these thirteen species, a comprehensive list that includes 1104 reports from 126 botanical families. A. besseyi, A. fragariae and A. ritzemabosi represent 94% of the reports, circa 83% and 16% of the total reports correspond to flowering plants and ferns, respectively, with three records on conifers and two from other botanical groups also listed. Most plant-parasitic Aphelenchoides show a remarkably broad diversity of associated plants. Most species appear to have no specific plant hosts (i.e. are generalists). The broad host ranges of these species and absence of more intimate interactions with the associated plants highlights the primitive mode of parasitism in Aphelenchoides species, making them potentially interesting in the study of the evolution of plant parasitism. Even though the compiled list of associated plants is long, it probably only represents a fraction of the potential range. The complete compilation has been uploaded to http://nematodes.myspecies.info/.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Department of Biology, Nematology Research Unit, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Universidad de Costa Rica, Escuela de Estudios Generales, 2060, Costa Rica; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Alcides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Monge
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Costa Rica, Laboratorio de Nematología, Centro de Investigación en Protección de Cultivos (CIPROC), 2060, Costa Rica; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Costa Rica, Laboratorio de Nematología, Centro de Investigación en Protección de Cultivos (CIPROC), 2060, Costa Rica; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.affiliation: Independent Plant Nematology Consultant, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, UK.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hockland
authors.affiliation: Independent Plant Nematology Consultant, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, UK.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bert
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology; D017187:Tylenchida / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development