Axio imager m2 carl compound microscope

The litter samples were collected in 2003 by the last author (VP) from three sites on Belasitsa Mountain representing different types of broadleaf forests dominated by PageBreakCastanea sativa Mill. mixed with Quercus daleshampii Ten. and Fagus sylvatica L. (Forest Management Plan database, sub-compartments 104g, 140b and 146a). Subsequently, on 17.10.2012 new litter samples were collected by Dr Michaela Ilieva from one of these sites, sub-compartment 140b, in order to obtain fresh material for molecular studies. Nematodes were recovered from the litter using the Baermann funnel method. They were killed by heat (65 °C), fixed in TAF (Triethanolamine-formalin, Courtney et al. 1955 ), and processed to anhydrous glycerine (Seinhorst 1959 ). Drawings were prepared using an Amplival 30-G048b and a drawing tube РА-6У42. Photographs were taken using an Axio Imager M2-Carl Zeiss compound microscope equipped with a digital camera (ProgRes C7) and specialised software (CapturePro Software 2.8). Measurements were made using an Olympus BX41 light microscope, a digitising tablet (CalComp Drawing Board III, GTCO CalCom Peripherals, Scottsdale, AZ, USA), and computer programme Digitrak 1.0f (Philip Smith, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, UK).

The Xiphinema specimens examined originated from various localities in the Czech Republic (Kurdějov, Mohyla míru and Sokolnice, grapevines), Slovakia (Moča, grapevine), Bulgaria (Balgarene village, pear tree, Vinogradets vicinity, vineyard) and Morocco (Ifrane, holm oak tree). Details of the soil sampling, nematode isolation and processing for Czech and Slovakian populations are given in Kumari et al. (2005 , 2010b ). A decanting and sieving technique was used for extracting nematodes from soil samples from Bulgaria and Morocco. Xiphinema specimens recovered were heat killed at 55°C for two minutes, fixed in a 4% formalin, 1% glycerol solution, processed to anhydrous glycerol (Seinhorst 1959 ), and mounted on glass microscope slides. Drawings were prepared using an Olympus BX51 compound microscope with

differential interference contrast

(DIC). Photographs were taken using an Axio Imager.M2-Carl Zeiss compound microscope with a digital camera (ProgRes C7) and specialised software (CapturePro Software 2.8). Measurements were made using an Olympus BX41 light microscope, a digitising tablet (CalComp Drawing Board III, GTCO CalCom Peripherals, Scottsdale, AZ, USA), and computer Digitrak 1.0f programme (Philip Smith, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Dundee, UK).