MORPHOLOGICAL AND CHOROLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LONGIDORUS INTERMEDIUS KOZLOWSKA & SEINHORST, 1979 FIRSTLY REPORTED FROM UKRAINE WITH THE COMMENTS ON LONGIDORUS ELONGATUS (DE MAN, 1876) THORNE & SWANGER, 1936

Abstract

The family Longidoridae Thorne, 1935 is a big taxon of Dorylaimina sub-family. Its species are ectoparasites of vascular plants inhabiting terrestrial biotopes. Longidoridae is one of the most homogeneous groups of Dorylaimina, which differs distinctly in morphology and biology from other dorylaimids, but its representatives structurally and ecologically are very similar to each other. Seventeen species of this family belonging to three genera were previously reported from the territory of Ukraine. This paper pre­sents first record of Longidorus intermedius Kozlowska & Seinhorst, 1979 and new records of closely related species Longidorus elongatus (de Man, 1876) Thorne & Swanger, 1936 from Ukraine. Data on morphology, morphometrics and main differen­ces between Ukrainian populations of these two species are provided. Ukrainian populations of L. intermedius are also compared in details with other previously reported populations of this species, and main differences are described. The presence of only three juvenile deve­lopmental stages in L. intermedius was confirmed. In model natural and anthropogenically altered localities on the territory of Opillia, the host preference of L. intermedius and L. elongatus was analyzed in detail. On this territory, L. intermedius is closely associated with Quercus robur L., so it can be used as an indicator for natural and semi-natural forests in which oak associations represent a primary vegetation type. On the contrary, L. elongatus populations were reported from the rhizosphere of a wide range of host plants. According to its chorological characters, L. intermedius can be also used in phylogeographical research in order to determine the formation ways of nemoral complexes of soil organisms after the Last Glacial Maximum.