Subfamily BURSAPHELENCHINAE Paramonov, 1964

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Introduction

A large subfamily, dominated by the genus Bursaphelenchus. It is characterised by short stylets with the conus and shaft of similar length and having small to large basal swellings and narrow lumen, stout to very slender vermiform females with functional anus and rectum but with medium to long tail, males with or without a rudimentary bursa. Males and females are the only adult forms.

All known species are either ectophoretic or endophoretic on insects, or phytoparasitic on palms or conifers. Many species are mycetophagous. A few are may have both phytoparasitic and mycetophagous phases.

Duration of the life cycle often depends on that of the host insect, but in mycetophagous phases my range from 5 to 30 days. Reproduction is amphimictic.

Two species are major economic pathogens, and several others may be pathogens with limited distribution or effects which occur under certain circumstances. Many species have limited distributions and limited effects, but a few have very wide distributions and may be part of species complexes.

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