Aspidodera		Contents		Rev: 06/05/2026
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Aspidodera Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Aspidoderidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea
Chromadoria

           Rhabditida 

        Spirurina

                          Heterakoidea

                   Aspidoderidae

 

            Aspidodera Railliet & Henry, 1912

    Synonyms:
      

Back to Top

Morphology and Anatomy:

Characteristics include:

• a hood on the anterior end of the nematode with recurrent grooves covered by a cuticle; the structures are known as the cordons (Inglis, 1957).
• species are separated by the shape and branching of the cordons, the shape and length of the spicules, the shape of the spinneret, and the number of caudal papillae
• slender nematode, white coloration
• cephalic cap or hood with cordons that may branchh or anastomose.
• Lips simple with lateral projections.
• Lateral alae present or absent.

Ref: Jimenez-Ruis et al., 2006

Hood and recurrent sub-curicular grooves on head of Aspidodera binansata Source: Scott L. Gardner per Jimenez-Ruiz (2024)	Apidodera sogandaresi: Key characteristics of  females and males Source: Scott L. Gardner per Jimenez-Ruiz (2024)

Back to Top

Distribution:

Back to Top

Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Aspidodera

Parasites of mammals of the orders Edentata (anteaters, aramadillos, sloths), Marsupiala (marsupials),, and Rodentia (rodents).  Host range of species includes host range xenarthrans, didelphiomorphs, and hystricognath and sigmodontine rodents.

Back to Top

Biology and Ecology:

Back to Top

Life Cycle:

Back to Top

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Back to Top

Management:

Back to Top

References:

Jimenez-Ruiz, F. A 2024. Nemata Heterakoidea (Superfamily): Cosmopolitan Gut-Dwelling Parasites of Tetrapods. Chapter 51 in S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, eds. Concepts in Animal Parasitology. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Open access CC BY-NC-SA

Jimenez-Ruiz, F. A.; Gardner, S.L.Varela-Stokes, A.S. 2006. Aspidoderidae from North America, with the Description of a New Species of Aspidodera (Nematoda: Heterakoidea). J. Parasitol. 92:847-854.

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: June 05, 2026.