Ironus dentifurcatus

Ironus dentifurcatus	Contents	Rev: 12/10/2025
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Ironus Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Ironidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Classification:

Ironus dentifurcatus Argo & Heyns, 1972

Synonyms:

Morphology and Anatomy:

Body large-sized, C-shaped upon fixation, tapering at both extremities but more towards posterior region.
Cuticle smooth without striations.
Hypodermal glands and pores occasionally in tail region.
Lip region dome-shaped, offset with a slight depression; lips rounded and fused into three large lips
Anterior sensilla arranged in three circlets (6 + 6 + 4), inner labial sensilla papilliform, \outer labials papilliform and cephalic sensilla setose
Amphids stirrup-shaped, situated just behind the lip region or at 5-1
Numerous rectangular crystalloids 4-8 um long, almost filling the body from posterior of pharynx to anus level.
Stoma strongly sclerotiszewd; in two parts, anterior part elliptical, partly surronded py pharynx, with bifurcate dorsal and claw-like subventral teeth; ;, posterior cylindrical part completely surrounded by pharyngeal tissue.
Pharynx cylindrical, narrow anteriorly and wider, muscular posterior part with thickened lumen.
Nerve ring at 47-49% of pharynx length. Secretory-excretory pore small, located behind the amphidal aperture.
Cardia short, conoid, about one-third of body diam.
Rectum with thick walls, ca 0.7-1.1 x longer than abd.
Tail long, filiform ending into fine terminus, length about 18-20 x abd.m. Two pairs of very fine dorso-lateral body pores at conoid part of tail

	Females: Didelphic, amphidelphic, ovaries short and reflexed; oocytes arranged in one or two rows distally and a single row proximally. Vagina conspicuous, perpendicular to body axis with strong muscles, length 0.3 x body diam. V ulva a transverse slit, at 41-44% of total body length. Vulval lips smooth, not protruded. Ref Asif et al., 2024

Males: Not found

Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

Distribution:

Description by Asif et al (2024) is fromsoil around roots of Prosopis juliflora growing in coal mine spoil, district Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Feeding:

Probably predators of microinvertebrates and nematodes (Yeates et al., 1993)

Life Cycle:

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click	If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

References:

Argo, A.D. & Heyns, J. (1972). Four new species of the genus Ironus Bastian, 1865 (Nematoda: Ironidae) from South Africa. Phytophylactica 4: 59-66.

Asif, M., Mahboob, M., Rehnan, P,F., Tahseen, Q. 2024. Delving into the diversity of genus Ironus Bastian, 1865 with special reference to Ironus dentifurcatus Argo & Heyns, 1972 (Ironidae: Enoplida), collected from coal mines. Nematology 26: 673-685.

Yeates, G.W., T. Bongers, R. G. M. De Goede, D. W. Freckman, and S. S. Georgieva. 1993. Feeding habits in soil nematode families and genera—An outline for soil ecologists. Journal of Nematology 25:315-331.