Porrocaecum moraveci

Morphology and Anatomy:

Porrocaecum moraveci described based on the integration of morphological and genetic evidence.

Large-sized, whitish nematodes with transversely striated cuticle.
Stoma with three roughly hexagonal lips, postlabial grooves and lateral membranous flanges ; dorsal lip with one pair of large double papillae, each with single papilla, small papilla and amphid; pair of small, submedial pores present on each lip; aanterior and lateral margins of each lipwith 100-120 acuminate denticles
Esophagus muscular, broader posteriorly than anteriorly; ventriculus (glanduar region of esophagus) longer than wide;
Intestinal caecum long, about two thirds of esophageal length
Nerve-ring at about 20% of esophageal length. Excretory pore just posterior to the nerve-ring
Tail of both sexes conical, with a very small finger-like mucron

Male:

Spicules alate, unequal length, rounded at distal end, left spicule 792 um long, right spicule 696 um long,
Gubernaculum absent.
Caudal papillae 25 pairs; 20 pairs precloacal, one pair double paracloacal) and four pairs postcloacal (2 pairs ventral, 2 pairs lateral)
Single medio-ventral precloacal papilla unconspicuous
Tail 330 um long.
Caudal alae weak; lateral phasmids present.

Female:

Vulva slit-like, at 36.8-43.5 mm from anterior and 31.5% of body length
Vagina muscular, directed posteriorly from vulva.
Eggs oval, thick-shelled, with punctate surface,
Tail 500-598 um long
Caudal alae weak; lateral phasmids present

Ref: Gu et al., 2023

Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

Distribution:

Porrocaecum moraveci was described from the intestinal tract of Circus aeruginosus (western marsh harrier, a bird of prey) in the Czech Republic (Gu et al., 2023).

Gu, X-H., Guo, N., Chen, H-X., Sitko, J., Li, L-W., Guo, B-Q., Liang, L. 2023. Mitogenomic phylogenies suggest the resurrection of the subfamily Porrocaecinae and provide insights into the systematics of the superfamily Ascaridoidea (Nematoda: Ascaridomorpha), with the description of a new species of Porrocaecum. Parasites & Vectors16:275 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05889-9