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long and very slender;
2-7 mm long
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cuticle longitudinally striated; may have punctations, most obvious on tail in
longitudinal and transverse rows
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lip region simple, rounded; lips
amalgamated
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three circles of labial sensilla: six
round openings surrounded by six outer labial papille and four minute
cephalic papillae.
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amphids
apertures very small and pore-like
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stoma a long sclerotized tube occupying
30% of length of esophageal region; triradiate, thickened walls anteriorly
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esophagus muscular, cylindrical,
slightly widened posteriorly; cardia large and tongue shaped
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females dioavial, amphidelphic, with ovaries sometimes reflexed;
vulva a transverse slit
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male testes paired
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male spicules thick, gubemaculum small,
thin
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male with 1-14 ventro-median supplements
and sometimes paired preclocacal ventro-median papillae
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tails in both sexes short,
bluntly rounded
with pointed tips, sometimes
conoid
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large, paired caudal papillae on male tail; small paired
papillae on female tail
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mainly inhabitants of undisturbed sandy soils