Survey of nematodes associated with pinewood in southern Italy and Lebanon.

The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is the causal agent of the devastating "pine wilt disease" (PWD). It is a quarantine pest originating from North America, and a major invasive pine pest in Eurasia. In Italy and Lebanon, it has never been detected so far, even if its vector Monochamus sp. is present in both countries. To identify the nematofauna associated with the main pine species, surveys in Lebanon (Horsh Beirut and Maten Region) and Southern Italy (Ionic coast and Salenton subregion) have been conducted. Wood samples were taken from pine trees showing declining symptoms; in addition, an evaluation has been carried on the presence of PWN and other nematode species associated with bark and wood boring insects. Nematodes have been extracted from pinewood, and morphological and molecular identification will be performed to identify the species. Considering the wide distribution of Monochamus spp., conifers and climate conditions, Italy and Lebanon show favorable conditions for the development, establishment and spread of PWN. This reinforces the importance of the monitoring system set up which has to contribute to the early detection of the nematode or latent infections.