Molecular characterisation and redescription of Ficophagus religiosus (Bajaj & Tomar, 2014) Davies & Bartholomaeus, 2015 from Ficus religiosa in India

A population of Ficophagus was discovered in the syconia of sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) grown in New Delhi (India). Based on morphology, morphometric characters and molecular data, we redescribed the population as Ficophagus religiosus. Here, major morphological characteristics are described in depth, with measurements of the male-female specimens’ taxonomic characters and photomicrography. Ficophagus religiosus can be easily identified by the spiral to J-spiral-shaped body, labial disc not offset, SE pore close to the base of the lip region, stylet length 17.7 (16-19) μm in males, and 19 (15-22) μm in females, a short post-uterine sac of length 8.3 μm (5-10 μm), a spicule with broad and high condylus, capitulum flat or depressed, a small bluntly rounded rostrum, the spicule tip (bluntly rounded or pointed), no cucullus, no gubernaculum, three pairs (P3, P3a, P4) of subventral caudal papillae, and broadly or bluntly rounded tail tip, without mucron. Additionally, new sequence data for the D2-D3 region of 28S rDNA (LSU) and 18S rDNA (SSU) marker genes are provided. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods were used to infer phylogenetic relationships of the Indian population of F. religiosus with other Ficophagus species. Phylogenetic analyses based on D2-D3 and SSU molecular markers resulted in a clear separation of F. religiosus from other Ficophagus species. The present study redescribes the species F. religiosus and provides molecular data to identify and establish phylogenetic relationships with other species.