author(s)
Debabrata Sen

abstract
Scutellonema bengalensis sp. n. was collected from soil around the roots of guava (Psidium guajava L.) and a small population of Hirschmanniella gracilis (de Man, 1880) Luc and Goodey, 1963 and Hirschmanniella oryzae (Van Breda de Hann, 1902) Luc and Goodey, 1963 were collected from the rhizosphere of guava in South 24-Parganas district, West Bengal, India. Scutellonema bengalensis sp. n. can be characterized and distinguished from all other species of the genus except S. grande Sher, 1964 by the position of its hemizonid which is located posterior to excretory pore. The present new species comes close to S. grande but it differs in having longer body, lesser number of cephalic and tail annules and in having longer spicules in males (L = 0.87 – 1.20 mm in females and 0.81 – 1.05 mm in males; number of cephalic annules = 6 – 9; number of tail annules = 15 – 21; length of spicules = 32.0 – 37.0mm in S. grande vs. L = 1.1 – 1.44 mm in females and 1.04 – 1.16mm in males; cephalic annules = 3 – 4; tail annules = 12 – 14; spicules = 45.0 – 51.0mm in S. bengalensis sp. n.). The present specimens of Hirschmanniella gracilis and Hirschmanniella oryzae agree well with morphology and measurements of their Topotypes with minor variations which may be considered as additional data for both of the species (Gubernaculum 9.0 – 14.0mm in male topotypes vs. 8 – 10mm in the present specimens of H. gracilis. Stylet length 15 – 19mm in female and 16 – 18mm in male topotypes vs. 14 – 17mm in females and stylet length = 14.5 – 17mm in males of present specimens of H. oryzae).