Acrobeles

 

Contents

 

Rev 07/18/2020

  Classification Biology and Ecology
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Acrobeles Menu Ecosystem Functions and Services
Distribution Management
Return to Cephalobidae Menu Feeding  References
    Go to Nemaplex Main Menu   Go to Dictionary of Terminology


 

Classification:

Rhabditida
       Tylenchina
        Cephaloboidea
          Cephalobidae

           Acrobeles von Linstow, 1877
     

Synonym:

Seleborca Andrassy, 1985

Back to Top

Morphology and Anatomy:

Andrassy (1985) separated Seleborca from Acrobeles  mainly by the presence of a double cuticle and a lateral field with four incisures, two simple outer and two crenate or wavy inner lines. However, Shahina andf De Ley (1997) considered that the double cuticle feature had arisen independently in several genera and that the character was insufficient to establish a new genus.  They synonymized Seleborca with Acrobeles.  Species of Acrobeles are currently (2019) considered to be separated into two groups: the "Complexus group" with a double cuticle and the "Ciliatus group" with a single cuticle (Abolafia et al., 2019).

Distinguishing characteristics separating Seleborca and Acrobeles as described by Andrassy (1985) are:
(1) Cuticle double, outer layer thinner and inner layer thicker, heavily annulated in Seleborca; cuticle single in Acrobeles.
(2) Cuticle  structure  in Seleborca simple, rarely punctated, never divided into blocks by longitudinal striae. Cuticle in Acrobeles often
ornamented, simple or rarely divided into blocks by longitudInal lines.
(3) Lateral field in Seleborca with four incisures, two simple outer lines and two corrugated wavy inner lines; in Acrobeles there are two or
three incisures, the outer lines simple or slightly crenate.
Head structures and other morphological characters are similar in both genera.

Head end showing probollae and cuticular pattern of Acrobeles farzanae, an example of the cuticular pattern divided into blocks.
Photograph from Heyns, 1995

.

Acrobeles complexus
(source: Paul de Ley)

Lip region with triangular lips and bifurvcated labial probollae, bordered by trianguklar tines.

Stoma distinctly jointed, cheilostom wide followed by a funnel-shaped or narrow posterior part with heavy wall.

Cuticle double (complexus group) or single (ciliatus group).

Esophageal corpus cylindrical, isthmus present but sometimes indistinct, terminal bulb always valved. 

Tail of both sexes usually short.

Cuticle striated, often with two layers.

Female: gonad single, anterior directed usually reflexed several times. 


Acrobeles sp. - labial probollae
SEM photomicrograph from Nadler et al., 2006
 
  Male, whole body

 

Male: bursa absent but genital papillae present. 

Spicules paired, gubernaculum present. 

 
Male tail Spicules and gubernaculum
P

Photomicrographs by Howard Ferris

Body size range for the species of this genus in the database - Click:
 
Back to Top

Distribution:

Prevalent in arid soils.

Back to Top

Feeding:

 Bacteria    

Back to Top

Biology and Ecology:

   
Back to Top

Life Cycle:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click 
Back to Top

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

 

Back to Top

Management:

 

Back to Top

References:

Abolafia, J. E. Shokoohi, G. Du Preez and H. Fourie. 2019. Description of Acrobeles aenigmaticus sp. n. (Rhabditida: Cephalobidae), an unusual species with a poorly developed vulva, from the Kalahari Desert (Ngamiland, Botswana). Nematology 21:319-332.

Andrassy. I. 1985. A dozen new nematode species from Hungary.Opuscula Zoologica, Budapest. 19: 3-39.

Heyns, J. 1995. Acrobeles farzanae spec. nov. and Seleborca complexa (Thorne) from the West Coast National Park and Rocher Pan Nature Reserve (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Koedoe 38:105-113

Nadler, S.A., DeLey, P.,Mundo-Ocampo, M., Smythe, A.B.,Stock, S.P., Bumbarger, D., Adams, B.J., Tandingan De Ley, I., Holovachov, O., Baldwin, J.G. 2006. Phylogeny of Cephalobina (Nematoda): Molecular evidence for recurrent evolution of probolae and incongruence with traditional classifications. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 40: 696-711.

Shahina, F., and De Ley, P. 1997. Two new species of Cephalobidae from Valle de la Luna, Argentina, and observations on the genera Acrobeles and Nothacrobeles (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Fundamental and Applied Nematology 20: 329-347.

Back to Top

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: July 18, 2020.