Chordodes mobensis Sciacchitano, 1958

Villalobos, C. De, Zanca, F. & Schmidt-Rhaesa, A., 2009, Revision of the genus Chordodes (Gordiida: Nematomorpha) from Africa IV. Ultrastructural redescription of Chordodes congolensis Sciacchitano, 1933, Chordodes ferox Camerano, 1897, Chordodes madagascariensis (Camerano, 1893), Chordodes mobensis Sciacchitano, 1958 and reinterpretation of Chordodes maculatus Sciacchitano, 1958 and Chordodes kakandensis Sciacchitano, 1958, Journal of Natural History 43 (41 - 44), pp. 2579-2595 : 2587-2589

Chordodes mobensis Sciacchitano, 1958

( Figure 5 )

Chordodes mobensis Sciacchitano, 1958, p. 40 , figures 35–38.

Holotype

One ♀ Democratic Republic of the Congo Lualaba : Kakanda (Tanganika, Moba) ( Sciacchitano 1958) ( AMT 30017).

Material examined

SEM mid-body. Holotype.

Host

Mantis sp. ( Sciacchitano, 1958) .

Description

Body colour light brown. Anterior end tapering. Posterior end slightly twisted, bent, probably due to dehydration.

Cuticle contains five areolar types. Simple areoles of various shapes (irregular, round, oval) and sizes. Areolar surface rugged. Scattered among simple areoles clusters of two to three bulging areoles with a smooth surface or with minute bristles. Tubercle and thorn areoles present ( Figure 5A, B ). Thorn areoles originate from a ring-shaped basal structure ( Figure 5A, B ). Crowned areoles appear in clusters of about 10–12 areoles ( Figure 5C ). All areoles in these clusters have a crown of short filaments. Areoles in the centre (three to four areoles) elongated, towards the periphery, slender ( Figure 5C ). Along ventral furrow of the body are crowned areoles with short filaments and numerous thorn areoles ( Figure 5D ).

Comments

In the original description Sciacchitano (1958) described and drew the cuticle of Chordodes mobensis with three areolar types which correspond to the simple, bulging and crowned areoles from our investigation. He also mentioned, without considering it as another areolar type, the presence of a large spine which corresponds to our thorn areoles. Using SEM we were able to describe in detail each one of the areolar types mentioned and add tubercle areoles as a new type.

Figures

Figure 5. Holotype of Chordodes mobensis. (A) Cuticle showing simple, bulging and thorn areoles; (B) thorn areole (double arrow) and tubercle areole (white arrow); (C) clusters containing crowned areoles; (D) midline of the body showing crowned areoles with short filaments and thorn areoles. Scale bars: 20 µm (A), 10 µm (B, C).