A root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne hispanica Hirschmann, was first described and illustrated from roots of papaya in Danzhou, Hainan province in China. The perineal pattern of female was characterized by oval shaped to rectangular with a low dorsal arch; dorsal striae varied from fine and wavy to coarse; lateral lines forked with fringe-like striae between lines and phasmidial ducts distinctly appeared. Male had high and rounded head region with labial disc and medial lips fused to form elongate lip structures. Second-stage juve-nile had distinct body annules and stylet with rounded, posteriorly sloping knobs, and the tail terminus was slender with indistinct hyaline. This Chinese new record of M. hispanica had a unique esterase phenotype (S2-M1) which was different from that of other Meloidogyne species.
