• H. Braasch and H. Schmutzenhofer.  Bursaphelenchus abietinus sp. n. (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) associated with fir bark beetles (Pityokteines spp.) from declining silver fir trees in Austria, 1-6
• W.M. Wouts. The subgenus Nothocriconemella Ebsary, 1981 (Nematoda: Criconematidae), with the description of four new species from New Zealand, 7-31
• Pham Van Luc, K.B. Nguyen, A.P. Reid and S.E. Spiridonov.  Steinernema tami sp. n. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) from Cat Tien Forest, Vietnam, 33-43
• O.V. Slobodyanyuk.  Revision of the species Psyllotylenchus pawlowskyi (Kurochkin, 1960) Poinar & Nelson, 1973. III. Description of Spilotylenchus ivashkini sp. n., 45-55
• E.S. Ivanova and W.D. Hope. Two new species of Ungella Cobb, 1928 (Rhabditida: Drilonematoidea) from earthworms deposited in the Smithsonian Institution Natural History Museum, 57-64
• F. Lamberti, S. Molinari, M. Moens and D.J.F. Brown.  The Xiphinema americanum group. I. Putative species, their geographical occurrence and distribution, and regional polytomous identification keys for the group, 65-84
• Abstracts of papers presented at the Third English Language International Symposium of the Russian Society of Nematologists (St. Petersburg, 21-27 August 1999), 85-103
• Book Reviews, 104-108

Bursaphelenchus abietinus sp. n. (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) associated with fir bark beetles (Pityokteines spp.) from declining silver fir trees in Austria

Summary:
During 1997 and 1998, specimens of an undescribed Bursaphelenchus species were recovered from approximately 33 to 50% of each of a hundred Pityokteines spinidens, P. vorontzowi and P. curvidens (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) fir bark beetles collected in the Bludenz region, Austria. Bursaphelenchus abietinus sp. n., is relatively small (L = 594 to 632 µm in males and females, respectively) with a delicate stylet (12 to 13 µm), a low 'a ' value (28 to 29), small spicules (13 µm), and a small bursa shaped like a two or three pointed shovel on the tail end. The moderately bent spicules have a narrow, high condylus and a blunt rostrum. Bursaphelenchus abietinus sp. n. is most similar to B. corneolus, B. wilfordi, B. hylobianum, B. fungivorus and B. hellenicus from which it differs by having differently shaped spicules and female tail terminus, relatively short post-uterine branch, morphometrics and from B. hellenicus by the number of caudal papillae.

Key words: Abies alba, Austria, Bursaphelenchus abietinus sp. n., Pityokteines curvidens, P. spinidens, P. vorontzowi, taxonomy

The subgenus Nothocriconemella Ebsary, 1981 (Nematoda: Criconematidae), with the description of four new species from New Zealand

Summary:
In the genus Criconema, the subgenus Nothocriconemella is discussed and redefined. The following species are recorded for New Zealand: C. (N.) acuticaudatum, C. (N.) alpinum, C. (N.) californicum, C. (N.) graminicola, C. (N.) macilentum, C. (N.) mutabile, C. (N.) pasticum and C. (N.) sphagni. A short description of each of these is given. Criconema (N.) macilentum is redescribed from a population from Auckland Island. Four new species are described and illustrated: C. (N.) crosbyi sp. n. from Campbell Island; C. (N.) farrelli sp. n. from Auckland Islands, and C. (N.) dugdalei sp. n. from high altitude, and C. (N.) ramsayi sp. n. from sea level, in the South Island. The basal part of the stylet, the lip and postvulval regions of these species are illustrated and compared, and a key to the species is presented.

Key words: Criconema, nematodes, new species, New Zealand, Nothocriconemella

Steinernema tami sp. n. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) from Cat Tien Forest, Vietnam

Summary:
Steinernema tami sp. n. from Cat Tien Forest, Vietnam has characteristics of species in the ìcarpocapsaeî group (IJ3 body length < 600 µm). It can be distinguished from species in this group by the mean IJ3 body length (530 µm ), which is shorter than that of S. kushidai, S. scapterisci, S. carpocapsae, and S. abbasi (589, 572, 558, and 541 µm) but longer than that of S. rarum, S. ritteri, and S. siamkayai (511, 510, and 446 µm). In the male, the spicule of the new species (77 µm ) is shorter than that of S. scapterisci (83 µm) but longer than that of all other species in the group (< 75 µm); ratio SW (spicule length/anal body width) of the first generation male (2.0) is smaller than that of S. scapterisci (2.5) but greater than that of other species (< 1.8). Steinernema tami sp. n. is further differentiated from other species in the group by the profiles of at least 3-4 enzymes in rDNA-RFLP analysis.

Key words: "carpocapse" group, entomopathogenic nematodes, South East Asia, Steinernema tami sp. n., taxonomy, Vietnam

Revision of the species Psyllotylenchus pawlowskyi (Kurochkin, 1960) Poinar & Nelson, 1973. III. Description of Spilotylenchus ivashkini sp. n.

Summary:
A description of the morphology and life cycle of the nematode Spilotylenchus ivashkini sp. n. is given. The species is established as a result of a revision of Psyllotylenchus pawlowskyi (Kurochkin, 1960) Poinar & Nelson, 1973, a parasite of Coptopsylla lamellifer and Nosopsyllus laeviceps fleas, which was described from specimens representing three separate species (Spilotylenchus pawlowskyi (Kurochkin, 1960) partim Slobodyanyuk, 1997 that parasitises only Coptopsylla lamellifer fleas and Kurochkinitylenchus laevicepsi (Slobodyanyuk, 1999) and Spilotylenchus ivashkini sp. n., each of which parasitise Nosopsyllus laeviceps fleas). The new species can be distinguished from S. pawlowskyi by body length and the position of the excretory pore in the parasitic female, by body shape and tail shape in juveniles from the host coelom and from the environment, and by the host insect. From all other spilotylenchs, including S. pawlowskyi, the new species differs by the shape of the parasitic female stylet.

Key words: biology, fleas, morphology, Spilotylenchus ivashkini sp. n.

Ivanova, E.S and Hope, W.D.

Two new species of Ungella Cobb, 1928 (Rhabditida: Drilonematoidea) from earthworms deposited in the Smithsonian Institution Natural History Museum

Summary:
Two new species of Ungella Cobb, 1928 are described from earthworms deposited in the collection of the Smithonian Institution Natural History Museum. Ungella burmensis sp. n. is distinguished from U. secta Cobb, 1928 by having finely mammilated egg shells, smaller gubernaculum and more numerous pre-cloacal pappillae. Ungella mexicana sp. n. differs from other species in the genus by having bifurcated spicule termini. The presence and absence of spicular apparatus within the ungellid genera is discussed.

Key  words: Drilonematidae, earthworm parasites, Ungellidae, Ungella burmensis sp. n., Ungella mexicana sp. n.

Lamberti, F. Molinari, S., Moens, M. and Brown, D.J.F.

The Xiphinema americanum group. I. Putative species, their geographical occurrence and distribution, and regional polytomous identification keys for the group

Summary:
Problems associated with identification of species attributed to the Xiphinema americanum group are reviewed to provide a "benchmark" for a European Economic Union funded research collaboration. The principal objective of the research is to establish a definitive morphological and molecular scheme for detection and diagnosis of virus-vector nematodes in the group. Forty-nine putative species are included in the group, together with two species considered species inquirendae. Information and comments on the geographical occurrence and distribution of each is provided. Those species for which there is unequivocal evidence of the nematode's ability to transmit viruses are listed, together with those species that have been reported to have three or four juvenile stages. A series of polytomous identification keys is provided as a practical means for establishing a preliminary identification of X. americanum group nematodes occuring in the major geographical areas. The identification keys are provided in the expectation that researchers world-wide will provide constructive comment for improvement with the objective of finally establishing a practical, definitive morphological identification key.  

Key  words: distribution, European Economic Union, nematodes, polytomous keys, quarantine organisms, virus-vectors, Xiphinema americanum group.