DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF ROTYLENCHUS AND PARAROTYLENCHUS (NEMATODA, HOPLOLAMIDAE) IN GREAT-BRITAIN

Six species of plant parasitic nematodes belonging to the Rotylenchina e were identified from 5,451 soil samples taken from throughout Great Britain. Pararotylenchus ouensensis was found only From Jersey, Channe l Islands, Rotylenchus pumilis and R. buxophilus had distributions mai nly restricted to southern England while R. uniformis, R. goodeyi and R. robustus were found in a wide range of soil types but R. robustus p referred more moist, alkaline soils and was recorded at greater altitu des then R. goodeyi. Rotylenchus goodeyi was more often found associat ed with beech and Scots pine while R. robustus preferred bog myrtle, o ak and hawthorn. At the population levels encountered there was no evi dence of either inter- or intraspecific competition within or between either R, goodeyi or R. robustus.