Metaparasitylenchus

 

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Rev: 07/01/2025

  Classification Biology and Ecology
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Metaparasitylenchus Menu Ecosystem Functions and Services
Distribution Management
Return to Allantonematidae Menu Feeding  References
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Classification:

Chromadorea

Chromadoria

Rhabditida

Tylenchina/Hexatylina

Sphaerularioidea

 Allantonematidae

 

       Metaparasitylenchus (Wachek, 1955) Siddiqi, 2000

Type species of the genus: Metaparasitylenchus telmatophili (Wachek, 1955) Siddiqi, 2000

    Synonyms:
     

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Morphology and Anatomy:

 

Females:

  • freeliving females with a distinct stylet, usually knobbed or swollen at the base;
  • free-living females may or may not possess a postvulval uterine sac;
  • parasitic females with a cylindroid, straight, arcuate, or coiled body;
  • parasitic females white (occasionally with yellow-brown deposits);
  • stylet of parasitic female similar in structure and size to that of free-living female;

Ref: Poinar et al., 2004

  
   

Males:  

  • males present
  • free-living males possess a stylet (may be as long as in female but usually thinner and lacking basal knobs or swellings),
  • two separate spicules,
  • gubernaculum,
  • peloderan bursa


Body size range for the species of this genus in the database - Click:
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Distribution:

Widely distributed in coffee plantations in Chiapas, Mexico.  Since the host coffee berry borer beetle is endemic in Central Africa, Poinar et al. (2004), wondered if the nematode was introduced with the beetle.  Thus far, the nematode has only been recorded across a limited geographical range in coffee-growing areas of southeastern Mexico (Simota-Ruiz et al., 2024).

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Metaparasitylenchus

Metaparasitylenchus species parasitize only Coleoptera, especially wood-boring beetles (Poinar et al., 2004).

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Biology and Ecology:

The effects of parasiticm by the nematode include partial or complete sterilization of the coffee berry borer are, depending on the number of parasitic females present. The sterility effect has been used to detect parasitized beetles in the field. When infested coffee berries are found with female beetles lacking progeny, the insects are usually found to be parasitized by M. hypothenemi (Poinar et al., 2004).

 Because of the apparently confined geographical distribution, the effect of altitude, temperature, and mean annual precipitation on presence or absence of the nematode was studied.. In the Soconusco region of Mexico the presence of the nematode is directly related to annual precipitation, especially in the areas with the highest annual rainfall (4000 - 4700 mm/year). Based on species distribution models, the predicted range of potential distribution is southeastern Mexico and southwestern Guatemala, with a lower probability of areas of Central and South America (Simota-Ruiz et al., 2024).

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Life Cycle:

 

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click 
 
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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Because the coffee berry borer is such an important pest of coffee and M. hypothenemi  partially or completely sterilizes the female beetles, the biological control potential is worthy of consideration (Poinar et al., 2004).

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Management:

 
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References:

Poinar, Jr. G., Vega, F.E., Castillo, A., Chavez, I.E., Infante, F. 2004. Metaparasitylenchus hypotenemi n. sp. (Nematoda: Allantonematidae), a parasite of the coffee berry borer, Hupothenemus hampei (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). J. Parsitol 90:1106-1110.

Siddiqi, M.R. 2000. Tylenchida parasites of plants and insects, 2nd ed. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, U.K., 833 p

Simota-Ruiz, M., Castillo, A., Cisneros-Hernandez, J., Carmona-Castro, O. 2024. Predicted distribution of Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi (Tylenchida: Allantonematidae), parasite of
the coffee berry borer. J. Nematlogy, 56: DOI: 10.2478/jofnem-2024-0031.

Wachek, F. 1955. Die entoparasitischen Tylenchiden. Parasitologische Schriftenreihe 3: 1-119.

 

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: July 01, 2025.