Rev. 06/14/25
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.
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.
Return to Order Rhabditida Menu