First Report of Tripylina Zhejiangensis Associated with Grassland in South Africa

Specimens of Tripylina zhejiangensis, collected from natural grass in the Free State Province of South Africa, were identified morphologically and molecularly. This species characterizes by body length (1037 – 1128 μm), a = 27.3 – 35.3, b = 5.1 – 5.6, c = 16.1 – 19.8, c’ = 2.5 – 3.4, V = 62 – 65. Molecular analysis was also undertaken, based on the 28S rDNA regions, and confirmed this population as T. zhejiangensis. Phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian inference method, places this population in a clade close to T. zhejiangensis with a 1.00 posterior probability value. According to the knowledge, this is the first report of the genus Tripylina and its species from South Africa. Besides, this is the second report of T. zhejiangensis worldwide after the original description from China.