SPECIES OF THE GENUS PRATYLENCHUS FILIPJEV, 1936 (NEMATODA, TYLENCHIDA) FROM CAMEROON

Four known species of Pratylenchus, namely, P. brachyurus (Godfrey, 19 29) Filip'jev & Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1941; P. goodeyi Sher & Allen, 1 953, P. scribneri Steiner, 1943; and P. sefaensis Fortuner, 1973 were found in soil samples collected from the rhizosphere of a variety of c rops in different localities in the western region of Cameroon. Identi fication was, however, not easy. The P. goodeyi population from Camero on shows only three head annuli instead of four. The P. sefaensis popu lations from Cameroon have a very variable tail end (instead of the ty pical rounded tail end) and a lateral field structured as a wide band with a series of irregular lines, or with a faintly-marked pair of inn er incisures (instead of four to five lines). Tentative identification with light microscopy was, for both species, supported by SEM en face views; moreover, the SEM showed that the cephalic sensilla in P. good eyi are more developed in the male than in the female. Differences in morphometrics are evaluated. The four species are first records for Ca meroon.