Dorylaimellus		Contents		Rev 01/02/2020
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Dorylaimellus Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Dorylaimellidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

This genus consists of a rather heterogeneous group of species and attempts have been made to subdivide them into subgenera.

• Body length 0.4 to 1.8mm, curved after fixation.
• Cuticle smooth or finely striated; lateral field with glandular pores.
• Lip region narrow, offset from body contour.
• Odostyle thin, length about sama as labial width.
• Odontophore about twice as long as odontostyle, flanged at base.
• Enlarged posterior region of esophagus surrounded by muscular sheath and about half of esophagus length.
• Females diovarial, amphidelphic; sometimes monovarial, opisthodelphic.
• Vulva a longitudinal slit.
• Male with large spicules and 4 or 5 ventromedian supplements.
• Tail varying in different species from rounded to almost filiform.

The muscular sheath surrounding the enlarged basal portion of the esophagus in nematodes of the superfamily Belondiroidea has a very slight spiral in Dorylairnellus aequalis with each muscle band passing around only about 180 degrees of the circumference of the esophagus. The muscle bands completely encircle the esophagus in D. parvulus, and pass around about 3/4 the circumference in D. tenuidens (Hechler, 1969).

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Distribution:

Worldwide.  Predominantly soil nematodes but some species occur in aquatic habitats.

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Feeding:

  Classified as plant feeders and possibly hyphal feeders (Yeates et al., 1993).   

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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 History Museum, Budapest. 608p.

Hechler, H.C. 1969. Variability of the Basal Esophageal Sheath in Belondirid Nematodes. Journal of Nematology 1:160-165.

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

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: January 02, 2020.