Rev 09/12/2023
Usually slender, elongate, small species.
Sexes similar.
Stylet usually small, delicate.
Esophagus with slender procorpus, median bulb and isthmus absent. Esophageal glands as long lobes free in the body cavity.
Esophago-intestinal junction close to nerve ring.
One female genital branch, anteriorly developed.
Tail long, conoid to filiform.
Key to Neotylenchidae based on non-entomophagous forms (from Yu et al., 2018)
1. Juveniles and adults obese……….……………… …………………….Fergusobia
Juveniles and young adults not obese, mature adults obese………………Delatylus
Juveniles and adults not obese……………… ………………………………….2
2. Males without bursa or gubernaculum………… ……………………….Gymnotylenchus
Males if present with bursa and gubernaculum…..………………...…………….3
3. Spermatheca present in female. ……………… ………………………………4
Female without spermatheca…………………… ……………… ……..Hexatylus
4. Vulva position over 93% ……………………… …………………..….Deladenus
Vulva position between 83.3 and 92.5%………… ……………….……Rubzovinema
Some species have alternative life cycles, one as insect parasitic nematodes and another that feeds on fungi, algae, or root hairs of higher plants. Examples: Fergusobia, Deladenus (Siddiqi, 2000; Yeates et al., 1993).
Siddiqi, M. R. 2000. Tylenchida: Parasites of plants and insects, 2nd ed. Wallingford: CABI Publishing.
Yeates, G.W., T. Bongers, R.G.M. de Goede, D.W.Freckman and S.S. Georgieva. 1993. Feeding habits in soil nematode families - an outline for ecologists. Journal of Nematology 25:315-331.