Rev. 02/02/25
Ungellidae Chitwood, 1950
A family of nematodes that are parasites of annelids.
Nematodes in the family have cephalic hooks
a 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.
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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