Bentgrass Nematode Anguina agrostis Plant hosts Major hosts: Agrostis canina (velvet bentgrass), Agrostis capillaris (brown bentgrass), Agrostis exarata, Agrostis stolonifera var. palustris (bent grass), Bromus erectus (Upright brome(grass)), Dactylis glomerata (orchardgrass), Festuca nigrescens (chewing's fescue), Festuca ovina (sheeps fescue), Lolium rigidum (rigid ryegrass), Phleum boehmeri, Phleum phleoides, Phleum pratense (timothy), Poa alpina, Poa annua (annual meadowgrass), Poa pratensis (smooth-stalked meadowgrass), Trisetum flavescens (yellow oatgrass) Click on image to view larger photo Image provided by Dave Powell USDA Forest Service.     Means of movement and dispersal Plant parts liable to carry the pest in trade and transport: Bulbs,tubers, corms and rhizomes: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Flowers: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Leaves: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Roots: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Stems: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Seeds: eggs, juveniles, and adults are born internally and are visible under light microscope. Plant parts not known to carry the pest in trade and transport: Bark. Fruits. Growing medium accompanying plants. Seedlings and micropropagated plants. Wood. Transport pathways for long distance movement: Conveyances (transport Vehicles). Mail: grass seed samples. Containers and packing: dealing with grasses. Soil, gravel, water, etc.: turf and grass seeds. Symptoms   A. agrostis causes no obvious symptoms on grass shoots except that of the inflorescence which is so distorted that the parasitized plants were once described as a new species, Agrostis sylvaticus. Symptoms of the inflorescence include pronounced lengthening of glumes and paleae, reaching two to three times normal length and elongate flower galls which are modified ovaries that look greenish or purple and may be 4-5 mm long. Lodicules, stamens and sometimes other flower parts are suppressed in such parasitized flowers (Goodey, 1930). Adult nematodes (1-3 females, 1-3 males) are found within these galls. Later, the females lay eggs and die, the eggs hatch and the second-stage juveniles fill the gall which then turns into a seed gall. Seed galls containing the nematodes are dark brown. They may look similar to normal seeds but are lighter and hence can be separated mechanically from them.   Return to pathogen profile list .