Merlinius

Merlinius	Contents	Rev 12/16/2024
	Classification	Hosts
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Merlinius Menu	Economic Importance	Damage
	Distribution	Management
Return to Merliniidae Menu	Feeding	References
	Go to Nemaplex Main Menu	Go to Dictionary of Terminology

          Merlinius Siddiqi, 1970

    Synonyms:
Allentylenchus Khan & Saeed, 1988

Body usually < 1 mm long (except M. adakensis Bernard, 1984, M. graminicola (Kirjanova, 1951) Siddiqi, 1976 and M. productus (Thorne, 1949) Sher, 1974),
Cuticle lacking longitudinal striae or grooves; lateral field with six incisures, normally not areolated posterior to esophageal region.
Deirids distinct, in four-incisure region of lateral field.
Cephalic region continuous or slightly set off, not bulbous; annules broken by six radial grooves; perioral disc indistinct, hexagonal, not well demarcated from surrounding labial area; submedian sectors wider than lateral sectors bearing amphidial apertures located posterior to border of oral plate.
Stylet usually under 20 um long (except M. adakensis where it is 34 (32-36) um long).
Vulva closed, slit-like; epiptygma indistinct.
Female tail conoid to subcylindrical, pointed or occasionally with a mucro.
Spicules cylindroid, straight to slightly arcuate, tip blunt to notched.
Gubernaculum crescent-shaped in lateral view.