Enchodelus		Contents		Rev 02/28/2022
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Enchodelus Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Nordiidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Andrassy (2009) redefined Enchodelus and transferred a substantial proportion of its species to Heterodorus Altherr, 1952 which is quite similar to Rhyssocolpus, although both are regarded as valid taxa.

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Body length between 0.6 and 2.5 mm.
• Cuticle usua;lly smooth, rarely with transverse striations.
• Lips amalgamated or slightly separate
• Head region continuous with body contour, or offset.
• Odontostyle very thin, diameter narrow.
• Odontophore rod-like to slightly flanged.
• Guiding ring double.
• Basal expanded part of esophagus less than half esophagus length.
• Prerectum long.
• Intestine sometimes with green coloration (may indicate consumption of alfgae and mosses?)
• Females didelphic, amphidelphic.
• Males usually rare but with dorulaimoid spicules, 7-16 ventromedian supplements.
• Tail short and broadly rounded in both sexees.

Ref: Andrassy, 2009.

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Distribution:

Mainly reported from northern hemisphere.

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Feeding:

Plant- feeding on mosses and perhaps algae. Intestine often green from consumptiuon of chlorophyll.

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

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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 Historm Museum 608p.

Guerrero, P. and Pena-Santiago, R. 2007. Redescription of Enchodelus species studied by Thorne in 1939 (Dorylaimida: Nordiidae). Nematology 9:93-121.

Jairajpuri, M.S. and Ahmad, W. 1992, Dorylaimida.  Free-living, Predaceous and Plant-parasitic Nematodes.  E.J. Brill, Leiden 458p.

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: February 28, 2022.