Family Thornenematidae

                                 Revised 01/27/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

  Class Enoplea

        Subclass Dorylaimia

     Order Dorylaimida

Suborder Dorylaimina

        Superfamily Dorylaimoidea

           Thornenematidae Siddiqi, 1969

Characteristics:

• Generally small to medium nematodes, 0.3-2.3 mm.
• Cuticle smooth or funely striated.
• Head contiguous with or narrower than body cintour.
• Lips amalgamated.
• Labial framework and mouth cavity with sclerotized pieces.
• Odontostyle simple, dorylaimoid.
• Esophagus enlarged posterior to middle, expansion about 1/3 of total length.
• Female genital system either monovarial, opisthodelhic; ocasionally diovarial amphidelphic.
• Vulva generally in anterior half of body.
• Male with 1 to 11 ventromedian supplements, usually spaced, not contiguous.
• Tails may be attenuated or short in both sexes, or attenuated in females and short in males.

Ref: Andrássy, 2009; Vinciguerra, 2006.

Most genera and species of Thornenematidae have been reported from terrestrial habitats, but some occur in wet, aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats.

    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 Andrassy (eds) Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy. CABI, Cambridge MA.

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