Family Ungellidae

                                 Revised 02/02/26

Classification:

Phylum Nematoda

  Class Chromadorea

    Subclass Chromadoria

Order Rhabditida

Suborder Tylenchina

Superfamily Drilonematoidea

Ungellidae Chitwood, 1950

A family of nematodes that are parasites of annelids.

• Nematodes in the family have cephalic hooks

• clavate pharynx

• long cuticularised excretory duct

•  nerve ring surrounding the isthmus

• offset spermatheca

• prominent caudal glands.

Ref:  Ivanova and Niehaus, 2009

The Ungellidae is a speciose taxon with profound morphological changes with development of the parasitic habit.

The nematodes are characterized by:

• presence of cephalic hooks,

• expanded glandular structures in the enlarged tail portion of the body,

• degeneration of the spicular apparatus in males

• thick-walled eggshells.

• rare in earthworms inhabiting temperate regions, mainly occurring in the earthworm taxa of tropics and subtropics.

    Go To Dictionary of Terminology 

References

Ivanova, E.S., Niehaus, B. 2009. Malvinia crassa gen. n., sp. n. (Nematoda: Drilonematoidea) – a parasite of the acanthodrilid earthworm, Notiodrilus bovei, from the Falkland Islands. Nematology 11:39-45.

Magalhães PS 1905. Notes d’helminthologie brasillienne. Archives de parasitologie. Paris. 9: 305-318.

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