Above-ground nematodes of conifers in South-Eastern Australia

Abstract

The above-ground nematode fauna of Pinus and native conifers in south-eastern Australia was surveyed from the Kuitpo Forest (and nearby Rocky Creek) and The South-East Region of South Australia; the South-West and the Gippsland Region of Victoria; the Hume Region in New South Wales; and the Murray Mallee Region of SA. A total of 1140 samples from Pinus radiata, 50 from Pinus pinaster and 40 from Callitris preissii was examined. No nematodes were found in wood or young shoots of conifers. By contrast, nematodes were common in the bark samples. Extracted nematodes were classified morphologically into five trophic groups namely: aphelenchids (plant, hyphal, algal and predacious feeders), rhabditids (bacterial feeding), Macrolaimus spp. (saprophagous), tylenchids (plant parasites, insect parasites and hyphal feeders), and dorylaimids (predacious, omnivorous, hyphal and plant feeders). Aphelenchids were the most common trophic group.