Farahnaz Jahanshahi Afshar - Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
Ebrahim Pourjam - Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Majid Pedram - Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Three populations of criconematids belonging to the subfamily Macroposthoniinae, representing three species Mesocriconema kirjanovae, M. surinamense and Criconemoides amorphous were recovered from two different geographical localities in East Azarbaijan province, northwest Iran. The recovered populations were characterized morphologically. Iranian population of M. kirjanovae is characterized by ۴۳۷-۵۴۲ μm long females, having ۸۶-۹۷ retrorse body annuli with smooth to finely crenated margin, cephalic region with two, non-retrorse annuli, ۵۶-۶۲ μm long stylet, the anterior lip of the vulva with two projections and conical tail with acute tip. The recovered population of M. surinamense is characterized by ۴۹۵-۶۴۰ μm long females, having ۸۷-۹۴ retrorse body annuli with smooth margin, four very large and flattened submedian lobes, ۷۴-۸۲ μm long stylet, open vulva, its anterior lip with two small lobes, vagina straight and tail rounded with one or two terminal lobes. The Iranian population of C. amorphous is characterized by ۵۰۲-۶۹۷ μm long females, having ۶۶-۷۳ retrorse body annuli with smooth to rough margin, four pseudo-submedian lobs, labial disc elevated, ۷۲-۸۰ μm long stylet, vulva closed, tail bluntly conoid and its tip uni- to multi- lobed. The characteristics of the three studied species were in agreement with those of the original; and the data of other populations. The two species M. kirjanovae and M. surinamense are new to nematode fauna of Iran; and the morphological and morphometric data of the Iranian population of C. amorphous are presented for the first time.

Criconemoides amorphous, East Azarbaijan province, Mesocriconema kirjanovae, M. surinamense, taxonomy