Trichodoridae

Family Trichodoridae

Revised 01/27/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

Class Enoplea

SubclassEnoplia
Order Triplonchida

Suborder Diphtherophorina

Superfamily Diphtherophoroidea

Trichodoridae Thorne, 1935

A small family of plant-parasitic nematodes with five genera and around 105 species recognized as of 2018:

Trichodorus Cobb, 1913
Paratrichodorus Siddiqi, 1974
Nanidorus Siddiqi, 1974
Monotrichodorus AndrÃ¡ssy, 1976
Allotrichodorus Rodriguez, Sher and Siddiqi, 1978
Ecuadorus Siddiqi, 2002

Etymology - from the Greek trichos (a hair) and dory (a spear).

Almost exclusively terrestrial nematodes. Ectoparasitic nematodes feeding on the roots of both annual and perennial plants.

Some species of Trichodorus Cobb, 1913 and Paratrichodorus Siddiqi, 1974 are vectors of plant-pathogenic tobraviruses (including
tobacco rattle virus, pepper ringspot virus and pea early-browning virus) and are important plant pests (Decraemer 1995).

Didelphic and monodelphic genera occur. The didelphic genera (Trichodorus, Nanidorus and Paratrichodorus) are cosmopolitan with species reported worldwide. Currently, monodelphic genera (Allotrichodorus Rodriguez, Sher & Siddiqi, 1978, Ecuadorus Siddiqi, 2002 and Monotrichodorus Andrassy, 1976) are only known from Central and South America..

Go to Classification and Characteristics Charts of the Orders Dorylaimida and Triplonchida

Sub-orders
Superfamilies
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Morphology and Anatomy:

Trichodorus, Paratrichodorus and Nanidorus are diovarial, Monotrichodorus, Ecuadorus and Allotrichodorus are monovarial.
Caudal alae usually absent in males of Trichodorus, but occur in Paratrichodorus, Nanidorus, Ecuadorus and Allotrichodorus.
Males of all genera with a single testis.
Vary in length from 0.4 to 1.8 mm. Usually rounded at both ends.
Cuticle tends to swell in water and fixative when nematodes killed.
Curved onchiostyle with dorsal groove.

Distribution:

Trichodorus, Nanidorus and Paratrichodorus occur worldwide, Monotrichodorus, Ecuadorus and Allotrichodorus only reported from South and Central America as of 1996.

Economic Importance:

Wide host range, stunt roots,

Members of the family transmit TOBRA viruses: Tobacco rattle Virus, Pea early-browning Virus and Pepper Ringspot Virus.

Feeding:

At root tip.

Stubby root nematodes are characterized by a curved onchiostyle which is not hollow. Ingested cell contents are channeled along a groove on the dorsal, outer, surface of the curve. A polysaccharide feeding tube forms around the spear as it penetrates the cell wall; the feeding tube may aid in channeling cell contents along the spear.

Hosts:

Wide host range.

Damage:

Root elongation ceases due to damage of meristematic tissues at root tip..

The common name of these nematode genera, stubby root nematodes, reflects the root tip feeding habit, which in many plants, results in termination of root elongation. Like nematodes in the Dorylaimida, stubby root nematodes directly damage plants through their feeding, but are also capable of transmitting plant viruses.

Go To Dictionary of Terminology

Body size range for the species of this Family in the database - Click:

References

Decraemer, 1995.

Holovachov, O., A Shoshin. 2014, 7.4 Order Triplonchida Cobb, 1919, Handbook of Zoology. Gastrotricha …,

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