Family Thorniidae

                                 Revised 01/27/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

  Class Enoplea

    Subclass Dorylaimia

               Order Dorylaimida

               Suborder Dorylaimina

               Superfamily Dorylaimoidea

                  Thorniidae De Coninck, 1965

Characteristics:

• Small to medium-sized nematodes
• Cuticle smooth, thin.
• Lip region low, rounded, generally continuous with body contour; lips fused.
• Odontostyle small, rather weak, often narrowing at posterior end.
• Guiding ring simple, thin.
• Esophagus expanding near or behind its middle.
• Pre-rectum short. Female diovarial, amphidelphic.
• Vagina with or without sclerotized pieces (pars refringens vaginae).
• Males diorchic.
• Spicules either: simple, short and straight (alaimoid) or longer and arcuated (dorylaimoid). Gubernaculum small.
• A pair of ad-cloacal papillae; supplements absent or one or a few.
•  Tail in both sexes cylindrical, broadly rounded.

Ref. Andrássy, 2009, Vinciguerra, 2006.

 Reported in freshwater, saline and soil habitats.

Classified as omnivorous and/or plant-feeding by Yeates et al., 1993.

    Go To Dictionary of Terminology 

References

Andrássy, I. 2009. Free-living Nematodes of Hungary III.  Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. 608p.

Vinciguerra, M.T. 2006. Dorylaimida Part II: Superfamily Dorylaimoidea.  Pp 392-467 in Eyualem-Abebe, W. Traunspurger and I Andrássy (eds) Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy. CABI, Cambridge MA.

Yeates, G.W., T. Bongers, R. G. M. De Goede, D. W. Freckman, and S. S. Georgieva. 1993. Feeding habits in soil nematode families and genera—An outline for soil ecologists. Journal of Nematology 25:315-331.

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