pinewood nematode; pine wilt nematode
Scientific name Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; a parasitic roundworm that causes pine wilt disease. Usually written in katakana.
The pinewood nematode causes pine wilt.
Refers to the disease (pine wilt) caused by the nematode, not the organism itself.
Katakana spelling is standard for this organism name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling used in technical contexts, but katakana is more common.
Variant with の; rarely used.
Compound of 松 (matsu, 'pine'), の (no, possessive particle), 材 (zai, 'timber/lumber'), and 線虫 (senchū, 'nematode'). The name describes a nematode that inhabits pine wood.