''Paratrichodorus minor'' is a species of nematode in the family

Trichodoridae Trichodoridae (stubby-root nematodes, trichodorids) is a family of terrestrial root feeding nematodes, being one of two that constitute suborder Triplonchida.''Paratrichodorus minor''.
EENY-339. University of Florida, IFAS. 2004. It occurs in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and subtropical regions of the world. It damages plants by feeding on the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...

s and it is a

vector Vector most often refers to: *Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction *Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematic ...

plant virus Plant viruses are viruses that affect plants. Like all other viruses, plant viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that do not have the molecular machinery to replicate without a host. Plant viruses can be pathogenic to higher plants. ...

es. It is a

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

of some agricultural crops. Like other stubby-root nematodes, this species is microscopic, reaching up to 0.71 millimeters in length.''Paratrichodorus minor''.
Nemaplex. University of California, Davis. Its body is rounded at both ends. It has an onchiostyle, a curved, solid stylet which it uses to puncture plant roots. It stabs the plant tissue rapidly, up to 10 times per second, to make a hole. It injects saliva, which hardens into a hollow tube, and it uses this like a

drinking straw A drinking straw is a utensil that is intended to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. Straws are commonly made from plastics but environmental concerns and new regulation have led to rise in reusable and biodegradable straws. These ...

to withdraw the contents of the plant cells. It moves around the root, leaving old tubes in place and creating new ones. It is an

ectoparasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

, attacking the plant externally rather than entering its tissues. Damage to plants is evident when it stops the roots from growing, leaving the root system "stubby"-looking. A plant cannot obtain water and nutrients from the soil and becomes stunted and wilted. It shows signs of nutrient deficiency. An affected crop field may have patches of withered plants. The nematode also introduces viruses to plants, including tobacco rattle virus, which causes the disease corky ringspot in

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Un ...

es. A potato

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

with corky ringspot has large brown rings on its surface and discolored spots inside. Entire potato crops can be made unmarketable by the appearance of the disease. The nematode has been observed in over 100 plant

hosts A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places *Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People * Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

, including turfgrasses such as St. Augustine grass and

bermudagrass ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasiv ...

, vegetables such as cabbage and

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word , ...

, and other crops such as

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family ( Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many ot ...

, sugarcane,

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

, and

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu ...

. It is a pest of

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vine ...

s in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. It is most abundant in coarse soils. Most individuals of the species are female and they reproduce by

parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...

, producing offspring without fertilization. They lay eggs in the soil and the juveniles feed on roots as they develop. The length of the life cycle varies with temperature, but it may be as short as 16 days.

Infected plants

See : *

List of African daisy diseases This is a list of diseases of the African daisy ('' Gerbera jamesonii'') plant Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Nematodes, parasitic Virus and viroid diseases Phytoplasmal diseases {, class="wikitable" style="clear:left" ! colspan= ...

* List of cucurbit diseases *

List of grape diseases This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *''Ampeloglypter ater'' *''Ampe ...

* List of oat diseases * List of pearl millet diseases *

List of sorghum diseases This article is a list of diseases of sorghum (''Sorghum bicolor''). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma and Viral diseases Insects Insect pests include: ;Root feeders *white grubs **''Holotrichia serra ...

List of soybean diseases Soybean plants (''Glycine max'') are subject to a variety of diseases and pests. Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Nematodes, parasitic Viral diseases See also * Soybean management practices References Common Names of Diseases, ...

List of sweet potato diseases This article is a list of diseases of the sweet potato, (''Ipomoea batatas''). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Nematodes, parasitic Viral and viroid diseases References Common Names of Diseases, The American Phytopathological Soc ...

References

Enoplia Agricultural pest nematodes Ornamental plant pathogens and diseases Grape pest nematodes Oats diseases Pearl millet diseases Sorghum diseases Root vegetable diseases {{plant-disease-stub