# Molecular and morphological characterization of Avenae-group cyst nematodes (Heteroderidae) from Greece

## TL;DR

This study identifies and characterizes new species of Avenae-group cyst nematodes in Greece using molecular and morphological methods.

## Contribution

The paper reports new records of Heterodera species in Greece and analyzes their genetic diversity.

## Key findings

- H. filipjevi, H. hordecalis, and H. mani were identified as new records in Greece.
- Population diversity was analyzed using ITS rRNA and mtCOI haplotypes.
- Greek populations were compared to those in the Mediterranean and globally.

## Abstract

Cyst nematodes of the genus Heterodera comprise 87 nominal species of economically important plant parasites, with the Avenae-group one of the largest, consisting of 12 species. Samplings for cyst nematode studies were carried out from multiple locations in Greece from 2013 to 2021. Cysts of the genus Heterodera were recovered from potato fields, athletic stadium turfgrass and a garlic field. The recovered populations were identified using sequences of 28S, ITS1 and ITS2 rRNA, mitochondrial COI, and nuclear Hsp90. Using integrative taxonomic approaches, the recovered isolates were identified as H. filipjevi (from potato fields and turfgrass), H. hordecalis (from potato fields) and H. mani (from a garlic field), representing new records for Greece. Population diversity within each species was investigated using statistical parsimony of ITS rRNA and mtCOI, revealing haplotypes of the Greek populations and their relationships to others found in the Mediterranean basin and worldwide.