Tripyla

  

Contents

  

Rev: 09/07/2024

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

Enoplea
  Enoplia
        Enoplida
            Tripylina
                 Tripyloidea
                    Tripylidae

Tripyla  Bastian, 1865

Type species of the genus: Tripyla glomerans  Bastian, 1865

    Synonyms:

Promononchus Micoletzky, 1923

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Morphology and Anatomy:

Tripyla females are diovarial, amphidelphic, and the whorls of anterior and posterior cephalic setae are well separated (Cid del Prado et al., 2010).

The genera Tripylella Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993 and Tripyla Bastian, 1865 (Tripylinae, Tripylidae, Enoplida, Nematoda) are both diovarial and amphidelphic but are distinguished morphologically in the configuration of whorls of anterior sensillae. Both genera have six circumoral inner labial papillae, but in Tripyla the whorl of four cephalic setae is well-separated and posterior to the whorl of six outer labial setae while in Tripylella, the two whorls are very close together so that they appear as a single whorl of six, usually longer, and four, usually shorter, setae.

The genus Tripylina Brzeski, 1963 of the Trischistomatidae also has the outer labial and cephalic setae in a single whorl but the females are monovarial, prodelphic (Andrassy, 2007; Cid del Prado et al.,
2010; and Cid del Prado et al., 2016).

 

Females:  

  • Body J-shaped upon fixation.

  • Cuticle striated.

  • Lip region symmetrical, width inside bases of outer labial setae  22-30 μm.

  • Amphid apertures 18-28 μm from the anterior end.

  • Three whorls of setae in the labial (6 inner labial papillae, 6 outer labial setae) and 4 cephalic setae are well separated. Inner labial papillae very small; outer labial setae distinct, 5.0-6.0 μm long, cephalic setae conical, thinner and smaller than outer labial setae, 2.0-3.0 μm long and 3.0-5.0 μm  behind outer labial setae.

  • Dorsal tooth wedge-shaped and tucked into an invagination in opposing stoma wall; two very small teeth, anterior to the dorsal tooth.

  • Stomatal chamber small when relaxed, cup-shaped when distended.

  • Nerve ring at about one-third of pharynx length.

  • Cardia between pharynx and intestine.

  • Vulval lips protruding,. Lateral to the vagina there are two granulec ontaining
    glands with fine ducts opening into the vagina close to the vulva.

  • Spermatheca oval-shaped, 21-26 μm long by 17-28 μm wide.

  • Terminal portion of the tail is straight or curved ventrally.

  • Lateral caudal alae extending anteriorly from tail tip, 137-240 μm on the right and 139-253 μm  on the left.

  • A pair of papillae are present in the caudal alae at approximately the same distance posterior to the anus by 107-140 μm .

(Cid del Prado et al., 2010).

  

Tripyla alaecaudata Female. (A-I). A: Anterior region; B, C: Cardia; D: Posterior region lateral; E: Vagina and glands; F: Spermatheca; G: Rectum; H: Posterior gonad lateral view: I: Tail latero-ventral view; K: Entire body: Male. (J, L-N). J: Tail, latero-ventral view; L: Spinneret; M: Spicules and gubernaculum; N: Entire body
.(from Cid del Prado et al, 2010)
Males:  

  • Shape generally similar to females.

  • Lip region width inside bases of outer labial setae 22-28 μm
    Amphid apertures 16.5-21.5 μm from the anterior end.

  • Inner labial papillae very small; outer labial setae distinct, 5.0-
    7.0 μm long,  cephalic setae conical, thinner and smaller than
    outer labial setae, 3.0 μm long and 5.0 μm behind outer
    labial setae.

  • Dorsal tooth wedge-shaped and tucked into
    an invagination in opposing stoma wall; two very small
    teeth, 4.0-5.0 μm anterior to the dorsal tooth

  • Stomatal chamber small when relaxed, cup-shaped when
    distended.

  • Nerve ring at about one-third of pharynx length.

  • Cardia between pharynx and intestine similar to female.

  • At least fifteen ventral papillae  approximately 68 μm apart.

  • Spicules 9.6-13.0 μm wide at the manubrium, end of the shaft bifid.
    Spicules surrounded by a muscular pouch .
    Gubernaculum straight.

  • Lateral caudal alae extending anteriorly from tail tip.
    Paired papillae in the caudal alae.

  • Spinneret short, terminal.


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

Key to the species of Tripyla (from Cid del Prado, 2010)

1a Tail of females and males with lateral caudal alae  T. alaecaudata Cid del Prado, Ferris & Nadler, 2010
1b Tail of females and males without lateral caudal alae 2
2a Outer labial sensillae < 3 μm long 3
2b Outer labial sensillae > 3 μm long  11
3a Body length < 0.9 mm 4
3b Body length > 0.9 mm 5
4a c  < 2 T. pygmea Micoletzky, 1922. 
4b c  > 2  T. minuta (Brzeski, 1963) Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993
5a c  < 6 6
5b c  > 6 8
6a Body length < 1.25 mm T. terricola Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993
6b Body length > 1.25 mm 7
7a Body length < 2 mm T. cornuta Skwarra, 1921
7b Body length > 2 mm  T. crassa Alekseev & Bestalannaja, 1990
8a Outer labial sensillae < 2 μm  T. affinis de Man, 1880 
8b Outer labial sensillae > 2 μm 9
9a Body length < 1.3 mm� T. koreana Winiszewska, Brzeski, Choi & Kim, 2000
9b Body length > 1.3 mm 10
10a Male with < 25 supplements T. glomerans Bastian, 1865
10b Male with > 25 supplements T. infia Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993
11a Outer labial sensillae > 6 μm 22
11b Outer labial sensillae 3-6 μm 12
12a 1Body length < 1.0 mm  T. pulchella Andrassy, 2008
12b Body length > 1.0 mm  13
13a c  > 20 T. italica Tsalolikhin, 2003
13b c  < 20 14
14a c  11-16 15
14b c  < 11 16
15a a < 45 T. filicaudata de Man, 1880
15a a < 25 17
16a a > 45, c  > 12 T. subterranea Tsalolikhin 1976
16b a > 25 18
17a Body length < 1.5 mm T. glosaria (Gagarin, 1994) Andarssy, 2007
17b Body length > 1.5 mm T. dubia Gagarin, 1997
18a Body length > 2.3 mm T. elongatula Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993
18b Body length < 2.3 mm 19
19a Outer labial sensillae > 4 μm 20
19b Outer labial sensillae < 4 μm 21
20a c  < 6.9 T. vulvata Andrassy, 1977 
20b c  > 6.9 T. tropica Cid del Prado, Ferris & Nadler, 2010
21a c < 6.1 T. tenuis Brzeski, 1964 
21b c > 6.1 T. aquatica Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993
22a Body length < 2.5 mm 23
22b Body length > 2.5 mm 27
23a c  < 8 25
23b c  > 8 26
24a c < 8 T. setifera Butschli, 1873
24b c > 8 T. napaensis Cid del Prado, Ferris & Nadler, 2010
25a Body length < 1.5 mm T. bioblitz Zhao, 2009 
25b Body length > 1.5 mm 26
26a c < 5 T. longicaudata Nesterov, 1979
26b c > 5 T. scandinavica (Andrassy, 1967b) Andrassy 2007
27a c  > 8. T. sibirica Gagarin, 1993
27b c  < 8 28
28a a > 30 T. magna Altherr & Delamare Deboutteville, 1972
28b a < 30 T. dybowski Tsalolikhin, 1976 

Cid del Prado et al., 2010


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Distribution:

Occurs in moist soils with abundant organic material.

 

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Feeding:

Generalist predators of small organisms, including nematodes (note photograph of nematode prey iinside intestine) (Yeates et al., 1993; Cid del Prado et al., 2010).  Observation of intestinal contents of various species suggest that all genera of the Tripylidae are predatory and generally consume protozoa, small nematodes, tardigrades and rotifers (Asghari et al. (2017).

Photograph by Ignacio Cid del Prado

Although the muscular structures involved in the feeding process of the genus Tripyla and other Tripylidae are not well studied, similar origins and insertions of extra-pharyngeal musculature probably exist as those described in the predatory marine nematode genus Cheironchus which  has the ability to greatly enlarge a relatively small oral aperture and to expose prey to sharp mandibles.

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Biology and Ecology:

 

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Life Cycle:

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

Regulation of prey species through predation.

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Management:

 
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References:

 

 
Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: September 07, 2024.