Chickpea cyst nematode (Heterodera ciceri) is a nematode pest of Chick Pea and other legumes. It was first detected in Mediterranean.
Second-stage juveniles penetrate host roots and establish a specialized feeding site. They develop into swollen females, which retain the eggs, rupture root cortex and protrude from the root surface. At the end of the reproductive phase, females die and become lemon shaped brown cysts. Cysts persist in soil for many years.
For more information about this plant pest, see the CAPS data sheet and the CABI data sheet.