Amphimermis

Amphimermis	Contents	Rev: 10/24/2024
	Classification	Biology and Ecology
	Morphology and Anatomy	Life Cycle
Return to Amphimermis Menu		Ecosystem Functions and Services
	Distribution	Management
Return to Mermithidae Menu	Feeding	References
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Enoplea

Dorylaimia
Mermithida

Mermithina: Mermithoidea; Mermithidae; Amphimermis Kaburaki & Imamura, 1932

Type species of the genus: Amphimermis zuimushi Kaburaki & Imamura, 1932

Synonyms:

Complexomermis Filipjev, 1934

Morphology and Anatomy:

Medium to long nematodes, 13-260 mm.
Mouth opening terminal or with slight ventral shift.
Amphids large, usually with porelike aperture.
Six head papillae lateral and sub-medial in position.
Cuticle thick with clearly visible criss-cross fibres.
Longitudinal chords in midbody, six.
Pharyngeal tube long, in sorne species reaching 60 % of body length. PharyngeaJ tube does not reach the mouth opening but ends behind it with a ringlike thickening.
Tail tip in both sexes blunÃ¹y rounded and ventrally curved.

Ref: Baker and Poinar, 1994

Females:

Vagina elongated, S-shaped, strongly muscularized, often with vulval flap.
Preparasites do not amputate tail and have extremely high mobility.
Eggs numerous, medium-sized, without byssi. .

Males:

Two long, twisted spicules.
Genital papillae in three rows, medial row bifurcates around genital opening.
(Twisted spicules are a charactyeristic of the genus)

Body size range for the species of this genus in the database - Click:

Feeding:

Species of the genus Amphimermis have been describe parasitizing grasshoppers, damselflies and dragonflies (Rusconi et al., 2020).

As with other Mermithidae, there is a stichosome consisting of a longitudinal serial duplication of esophageal glands (stichocytes, usually about 16) which are exterior to the esophagus musculature, each with a duct into the esophageal lumen
In the later stages of development, stichosome separates from the intestine, which becomes a trophosome in which the walls and lumen of the intestine disappear resulting in a syncyteal structure. with no anal opening to the exterior.

Life Cycle:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Baker, G.L., Poinar Jr, G.O. 1994. Studies on the genus Amphimermis (Nematoda : Mermithidae) : five new species, including four from Orthoptera in southeastern Australia. Fundam. appl. Nematol. 17: 303-321.

Ferris, H. 2007. Stichosomida. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. http://accesscience.com/abstract.aspx

Kaburaki, T., Imamura, S. 1932. A new mermithid worm parasitic in the rice borer with notes on its life history and habits. Proc. imp. Acad. Japan, 8:109-112.

Rusconi, J.M., Di Battista, C., Balcazar, D., Rosales, M., Achinelly, M.F. 2020. Amphimermis enzoni n. sp. (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitizing damselflies and dragonflies in Argentina. J. Nematology DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-051

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Amphimermis

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Morphology and Anatomy:

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Distribution:

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Feeding:

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Life Cycle:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

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References: