Morphological and molecular characterisation of Talanema maculatum sp. n. (Dorylaimida, Qudsianematidae) from Iran

A new species of the genus Talanema, T. maculatum sp. n., collected in a natural enclave of Iran, is characterised on the basis of morphological and molecular data. It is distinguishable by its 1.82-2.20 mm long body, lip region offset by constriction and 20-23 & mu;m wide with perioral liplets, odontostyle 21.5-28 & mu;m long, guiding ring double, neck 394-525 & mu;m long, pharyngeal expansion occupying 44-49% of the total neck length, uterus tripartite and 308-441 & mu;m long or 5.1-6.8 body diam., vulva transverse (V = 5458), presence of abundant cuticle irregularities at the perivulval area, tail similar in both sexes, conical with a dorsal concavity (31-45 & mu;m, c = 46-71, c' = 0.9-1.1), spicules 70-75 & mu;m long, and 14-18 shortly spaced ventromedian supplements ending at level of the anterior end of spicules, with hiatus. Molecular analysis of 28S-rDNA gene confirms the monophyly of Talanema and the difficulties in elucidating its external evolutionary relationships.