Nematodes of the order Tylenchida in Germany – the non-phytoparasitic species

In the recently published checklist of plant-parasitic nematodes known from Germany (Sturhan 2014) genera and species of the order Tylenchida, which are generally considered as being parasites of higher plants, represent the largest taxonomic group with 212 species. The present paper gives an overview of the remaining trophic groups in Tylenchida: Root tip feeders, myceliophagous species and entomoparasites, the latter often having a free-living soil generation. A total of 165 species are included, most of them representatives of the suborder Hexatylina (96 species), followed by members of Tylenchina (67 species). Where available, first records for Germany are given together with data on habitat, distribution and the hosts of zooparasitic species. A high number of valid species (95) were originally described from Germany; 20 additional species have been synonymised with previously described species or are considered as species inquirendae. Published data are critically reviewed and some new records are added. Many published records are considered as questionable and need verification. Part of the species is deficiently characterised and requires further study. The number of unidentified and still undescribed species appears to be high. Two obviously new Tenunemellus species as well as a nematode population isolated from soil, which could not be attributed to any of the currently known tylenchid genera, are briefly characterised. An obviously still undescribed species of Paurodontoides is recorded and morphological characteristics are presented: it is the first record of the genus outside USA. Morphological characters of Boleodorus clavicaudatus populations from Germany are given and compared to the original description. Supplementing morphological characters of Pleurotylenchus sachsi and data on occurrence, habitat and distribution in Germany are presented. A Safianema population recovered in southern Germany, resembling S. lutonense, is briefly characterised morphologically.