Family Mononchidae

                                 Revised 01/19/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

  Class Enoplea

    Subclass Dorylaimia

Order Mononchida

Suborder Mononchina

Superfamily Mononchoidea (Chitwood, 1937) Clark, 1961

             Mononchidae Chitwood, 1937

Type genus of the family: Mononchus Bastian, 1865

 Characteristics of the family:

• Head broad, rounded or truncate, either set-off or cotinuous with body contour
• Inner labial pepillae 6, outer labial papilla 6-14
•  Amphids pouch-like, near base of labial region
• Buccal cavity barrel-shaped, rectanhular ofr goblet-shaped
• Dorsal tooth always present, subventrals present or absent, always smaller than dorsal; subventral denticles present or absent
• Esophagus tubular, without bub; nerve ring at about 30% of its length; excretroy pore just behind nerve ring; two pairs of subventral glands opening into esophagus lumen at posterior end
• Tail variously shaped,

Female:

• Monodelphic or didelphic

Male:

• Diorchic, testes outstretched
• Spicules paired
• Gubernaculum present
• Supplenents in a single ventromedian row,

Ref: Mulvey, 1978
              
          
         
 Predaceous nematodes, microbivores as juveniles, predators as adults.

Globose stoma with a single large dorsal tooth.  No subventral fields of denticles.

Long, muscular, tubular esophagus.   

Click on thumbnail below for video of Mononchus feeding as a predator on other nematodes:

    Go To Dictionary of Terminology 

References

Jairajpuri, M.S., Khan, W.U. 1982. Predatory Nematodes, (Mononchida) with Special Reference to India, Associated Publishing, New Delhi. 131p.

Loof, P.A.A. 2006. Nematology 8:287-310.

Mulvey, R.H. 1978. Predaceous nematodes of the family Mononchidae from the Mackenzie and Porcupine river systems and Somerset Island, N.W.T., Canada. Can J. Zool. 56: 1847-1868.

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