【Background】The Plant rootknot nematode disease (Meloidogyne spp.) is a soilborne pest and may cause great economic losses. As M.enterolobii is distributed widely in the tropical and subtropical regions, and is a potentially harmful pathogenic rootknot nematode for several cultivated crops, it is the subject of intensive study around the world, based on its peculiarity of pathogenicity, molecular characteristics and interaction with plants. 【Method】Ten purified populations of rootknot nematodes collected from Hainan Province, Southern China, were identified by using the morphological, isozyme and molecular biological methods. 【Result】The presence of M.enterolobii was confirmed on 10 cultivated crops and herbs, including as cucumber, pumpkin, balsam pear, loofah, bottle gourd, pepper, guava, clove and the herbs Morinda citrifolia, and Excoecaria agallocha. Its morphology, esterase phenotype and mtDNAPCR amplification products were different from the common species of root knot nematodes. Primers 18S and 28S were used to amplify the rDNAITS region of M.enterolobii and population 4HBJ were cloned, sequenced and compared. We found about 88% homology between M.enterolobii and M.incognita, M.javanica and M.arenaria, respectively. 【Conclusion and significance】M.enterolobii was accurately identified, and its presence on crops in Hainan Island was firstly proven. The morphological and molecular characteristics of M.enterolobii were clarified, and the molecular phylogenetic relationship between M.enterolobii and three other common species of Meloidogyne was explained. The research results had important value for the future study of M.enterolobii and disease control.