LAUSR

The plant-parasitic nematodes of Iceland are poorly understood. To address this, a study of the nematodes of the families Criconematidae and Hemicycliophoridae was performed in 2015. Soil samples were taken from underneath various host plants in different locations in Iceland. The identification was performed on the basis of the general morphology and subsequently confirmed by molecular markers (D2-D3 28S rDNA). The study revealed the presence of nematode specimens belonging to four species of the family Criconematidae: Criconemoides amorphus, Criconema demani, Mesocriconema xenoplax and Mesocriconema curvatum, as well as one species Hemicycliophora conida of the family Hemicycliophoridae. To our knowledge, this is the first record of the occurrence of these nematode species in Iceland. The species identified are economically important plant-parasitic nematodes of likely interest to—among others—Icelandic plant protection professionals. This report broadens our knowledge of Iceland’s nematode biodiversity; moreover, morphological analyses and molecular data may contribute to better understanding the origin of nematode species on the island of Iceland.