DISEASES OF FLOWERS, LEAVES AND STEMS

The superfamily Aphelenchoidea is a large group of stylet-bearingnematodes that have adapted to a wide range of ecologicalrelationships including phytoparasitism, predation, fungus feeding,both in soil and in association with insects, and obligate insectparasitism. The Aphelenchoides genus comprises at least 138 validspecies and is considered in need of a major revision (Cuc et al.,2007). Increases in nematode biodiversity may result from geneticisolation or breaks in homeostasis caused by ecological associationswith other hosts as a consequence of association by descent. Theseassociations have the potential to become isolating mechanisms forspeciation, raising the possibility that the species diversity of plantsand animals can directly affect associated nematode species diversity(Giblin-Davis et al., 2004).From Fan-Yu Jen at al JON 2011?