Willinema

  

Contents

  

Rev 05/22/2025

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

Enoplea
Dorylaimia
       Dorylaimida
Thornenematidae
Willinematinae

Willinema Baqri & Jairajpuri, 1967

Type species of the genus: Willinema parvum (Williams, 1959) Baqri & Jairajpuri, 1967
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Morphology and Anatomy:

  • Body length 0.4-1.9 mm
  • Head continuous with body contour
  • Labial framework not sclerotized, collaret absent
  • Odontostyle typical dorylaimid. Guiding ring simple. Odontophore rod-like, without specialisation. \
  • Pharynx enlarging gradually, the basal expansion occupying one-third to one-half of the total neck length.
  • Tail short and rounded in both sexes.

Female:

  • Mono-opisthodelphic or pseudo-opisthodelphic, sometimes didelphic, or with rudiimentary anterior gonad.
  • Vagina with distinct pars refringens, and transverse vulva.
  • Tail sshort and rounded; convex-conoid to cylindrical.

Male:

  • Male with dorylaimid spicules,
  •  2�9 widely spaced ventromedian supplements with hiatus
  
Reference: Andrássy, 2009; Vazifeh et al., 2022

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

Soil nematodes described from Asia, Africa and North and South America. Widely distributed but infrequent.

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Willinema

Categorized as omnivores (Yeates et al., 1993).
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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:

 

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Management:

 

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References:

Andrassy, I. 2009. Free-living Nematodes of Hungary III.  Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. 608p.

Carbonell, E. and Coomans, A, 1984. The genus Wilinema Baqri & Jairajpuri, 1967. (Nematoda: Thornenematidae). Nematologica 30:369-386.

Pena-Santiago, R. 2021. Dorylaimida Mundi (Nematoda); checklist of genera and species, with their records. UJA Editorial. 957p.

Vazifeh, N., Niknam, G., Jabbari, H., Fallahi, A., Zahedi, E., Pena-Santiago, R. 2022. Description of Willinema persicum sp. n. (Dorylaimida: Thornenematidae) from Iran, with an updated taxonomy of the genus. Journal of Natural History 56:849-863. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2022.2082895

 

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Copyright 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: May 22, 2025.