Family Sphaerulariidae

Rev. 02/27/2023    
                

Chromadorea

Chromadoria

Rhabditida

Tylenchina/Hexatylina

Sphaerularioidea

                Sphaerulariidae Lubbock, 1861

• Mainly parasites of insects sometimes with a free-living generation.
• Entomoparasitic female everts uterus through the vullva into the  haemocoel of host insect.  The uterus hypertrophies into a sausage-shaped sac, 2-20 mm long and 1.2-1.5 mm wide which produces thousands of eggs.  The uterine sac may take over the normal parasitic functions of the dault, probably absorbing nutrients directly from the host haemocoel.
• Bumblebees are parasitized by mated femal nematodes in their underground overwintering sites.

Chizhov, V.N. (2004): [Entomogenous nematodes of the suborder Hexatylina (Nematoda: Tylenchida).] − In: Sonin, M. D. (ed.): [Parasitic nematodes of plants and insects.] Nauka, Moscow, Russia: 277–293

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