Sphaerularia

Sphaerularia	Contents	Rev: 05/22/2025
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Sphaerularia Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Sphaerulariidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Rhabditida

Tylenchina/Hexatylina

Sphaerularioidea

Sphaerulariinae

Sphaerularia Dufour, 1837

Type host of the genus: Sphaerularia bombi Duforur, 1837

Synonyms:

Females:

Males:

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

Everted uterus of female takes on the parasitic function and absorbs resources from the host haemocoel.

Bumblebee gynes (young females) are parasitized by mated female nematodes in their underground overwintering sites. The parasitized gynes repeatedly return to the underground overwintering sites where infective 3rd stahge juveniles of the nematode are deposited and infect new gynes.
In the bumblebee haemodoel the entomoparasitic female everts its uterus through the vulva into the haemocoel of host insect. The uterus hypertrophies into a sausage-shaped sac, 2-20 mm long and 1.2-1.5 mm wide which produces thousands of eggs. The uterine sac may take over the normal parasitic functions of the adult, probably absorbing nutrients directly from the host haemocoel. The uterine sac develops swellings on the edge that extend its volume and egg producing capacity.
Parasitic juveniles are released into host overwintering sites, develop to adults, mate and then mated female nematodess infect new bumblebees that enter the oversintering site.

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click