Abstract
In May 2021, the Parana coffee root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne paranaensis was identified using molecular markers from a potted elephant ear plant (Caladium sp.) originated from San Antonio, Texas, USA. This nematode was found in a mixture with the peanut root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne arenaria. The molecular analysis showed that the intergenic COII-16S gene region and the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA gene sequences allowed differentiating M. paranaensis from the related root-knot nematode species of the tropical group. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report of M. paranaensis in the continental United States.