Bursaphelenchus Fuchs, 1937 (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) species associated with Pinus species in northern Turkey

A survey for Bursaphelenchus nematodes, associated with different conifer trees, was conducted in several forest areas in the northern regions of Turkey. Only pine trees (Pinus nigra, P. pinaster and P. sylvestris) yielded Bursaphelenchus specimens. Nematodes were identified using several morphological diagnostic characters of the genus (male spicule structure, number of lateral incisures, number and distribution of the male papillae, presence of female vulval flap), and confirmed by using RFLP analysis of the internal transcriber spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA. Three different species were identified from several sampled areas, namely B. mucronatus, B. pinophilus and B. sexdentati, representing a first report of the last two species for Turkey. The association of B. pinophilus with black pine (P. nigra) is herein reported for the first time.