Brevibucca saprophaga gen et sp. nov., a nematode from a rotting lily bulb-scale

Extract

Mr. L. Ogilvie, Mycologist, of the Research Station, Long Ashton, Bristol, recently sent the writer some bulbs of Lilium longiflorum Thunb., var. takesima, requesting an opinion on the eelworms occurring in the brownish tips of some of the scales. These turned out to be chiefly a species of Rhabditis and Diplogaster nudicapitatus Steiner. There was one thoroughly decomposed bulb scale, dark brown in colour and of a soft consistency throughout which, on teasing in water, was found to contain several insect larvae, mites and numerous nematodes including specimens of Diplogaster longicauda and D. striatus. In addition, about 25 adults of each sex of a new genus of nematode were found which, though somewhat resembling Rhabditis in buccal and oesophageal characters, differed from that genus in certain important features the most outstanding of which was the short buccal cavity. On this character the generic name has been based and because the worms were found in a thoroughly decayed organic medium a specific name has been chosen which denotes their probable feeding habits. Mr. Ogilvie has informed the writer that the bulbs were from stocks imported from Japan. Such bulbs arrive in this country in cases packed with Japanese soil but as the bulbs examined had already been planted in English soil it is impossible to determine from the material available whether the newly discovered nematodes were originally inhabitants of Japanese or English soil.