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The plant parasitic nematode Longidorus poessneckensis found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic was molecularly characterized. Mitochondrial genes encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nad4), the D2 and D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA and Internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) rRNA were sequenced for 16 L. poessneckensis populations. Six haplotypes of COI and five haplotypes of nad4 were determined. Nucleotide intraspecific variation was up to 17.1% for the partial sequenced COI gene and up to 17.7% for the partial sequenced nad4 gene, the latter being the highest up to date known intraspecific variation in this genus. The analyses of multiple amino acid sequence alignments of mitochondrial genes revealed low variability (0–2.4%) for COI gene and high divergence (0–7.6%) for nad4 gene. Intraspecific sequence diversity for the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA gene was up to 1.2% and for ITS1 rRNA gene was up to 1.6%. It has been hypothesized, that during the Last Glacial Maximum, L. poessneckensis populations probably persisted in refuge areas in the Carpathian Mountains and subsequently expanding from these areas and colonizing other European regions.

Paralongidorus rex was found for the first time in Poland and Ukraine. This paper describes females and juveniles from four populations of this species on the basis of morphology and morphometrics and provides molecular characterization using 18S, ITS1 and D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene sequences. Morphometrically, females from these populations differed slighty in V ratio (means in four populations: 41.9; 42.7; 46.1; 46.8) and odontostylet length (166.6; 170.6; 191.5; 193.2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. rex had a sister relationship with P. iranicus. PCR-D2-D3 of 28S-RFLP diagnostic profiles with five enzymes are given. Additionally, information on new host plants and map of distribution for P. rex are provided. The new record of this nematode species, previously identified as Paralongidorus sp. (GenBank: AY601582) from Slovakia, is defined based on comparison of sequences of the D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA gene. Finally, remarks on the potential importance of this species in grapevine production are given.

Longidorus poessneckensis Altherr, 1974 and L. piceicola Liskova, Robbins & Brown, 1997 (Nematoda: Longidoridae) represent new records from Poland. These two species are described and illustrated together with a male and bivulval female of L. poessneckensis. In its general morphology and morphometrics, the male of L. poessneckensis is similar to the females, but has a spicule 100 μm long and one adanal pair, two double and a row of six single ventromedian supplements. Comments on the differential diagnosis of L. poessneckensis and two morphologically related species, L. uroshis Krnjaic, Lamberti, Krnjaic, Agostinelli & Radicci, 2000 and L. macrosoma Hooper, 1961 are given.

Summary The area of vineyards in Poland is about 350 ha and it is increasing every year. The main viticulture regions are located in southern and western Poland. Most of them are home-garden vineyards and grapes are used for non-commercial produce of vine. Among plant parasitic nematodes there are several species that can be harmful to grapevine. Despite that, up to date there were no studies carried out on the occurrence of those nematodes in Polish vineyards. However, as the popularity of viticulture production in Poland has been increasing, it would be worthwhile to conduct studies on this group of parasitic nematodes. Here we present preliminary results on the occurrence of species from the plant parasitic nematodes families: Criconematidae, Hoplolaimidae, Longidoridae, Paratylenchidae, Telotylenchidae, Trichodoridae and Xiphinematidae. Study was based on 22 soil samples from 8 vinyards located in malopolskie, podkarpackie and świetokrzyskie provinces. Twenty-two species of plant parasitic nematodes were detected: 7 from the family Hoplolaimidae, 6 from both Criconematidae and Telotylenchidae, 2 from Paratylenchidae and 1 from Xiphinematidae. No species from families Longidoridae and Trichodoridae were found.

This paper presents the first geographical record of the needle nematode Longidorus artemisiae Rubtsova, Chizhov & Subbotin, 1999 outside Russia. This species was found in Poland near the city of Skierniewice in association with nettle (Urtica dioica L.). Morphometric and morphological data are provided, including the first description of juveniles of this species. Nematodes of the Polish population differ from the type-population in Russia in possessing a thicker body (lower ‘a’ index) in both sexes; males having a longer body and longer spicules; different sex ratio (1:2 in Polish population vs 1:1 in the type-population) and somewhat less expanded lips. Molecularly, the Polish population was characterised by sequencing D2-D3 28S rDNA and ITS1 markers. Additionally, new data on these two markers are provided for another species, Longidorus juglandicola Liskova, Robbins & Brown, 1997, obtained from topotype specimens from Slovakia. Surprisingly, despite the high morphological similarity of these two species, analysis of their phylogenetic position did not show close phylogenetic relation and several other species (less similar in general morphology) appeared more closely related to both L. artemisiae and L. juglandicola.