Gordius cf. plicatissimus Heinze, 1952

Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas, 2010, Considerations on the genus Gordius (Nematomorpha, horsehair worms), with the description of seven new species, Zootaxa 2533, pp. 1-35 : 30

Gordius cf. plicatissimus Heinze, 1952

( Fig. 11 D–F)

Material examined. 13 and 3ƤƤ found within host Anonconotus occidentalis Carron and Wermeille, 2002 (Orthoptera) in Italy, Piemonte, Monte Viso SW of Torino (44°41'N, 7°6'E) (col. September 1990 by Otto von Helversen). The specimens are stored in the collection of A. Schmidt-Rhaesa as numbers 1026–1029.

Description. The specimens are light brown. The body color is very light brown; white spots and dark median lines are absent.

The postcloacal crescent is semicircular and directly at the point of bifurcation ( Fig. 11 C). It does not extend much onto the tail lobes. The tail lobes are about twice as long as broad, the inner side is slightly concave. There are densely covering contaminations in several regions of the posterior end ( Fig. 11 C).

The cuticle is structured into oval to polygonal areoles, which partly fuse to form rows running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ( Fig. 11 E,F). No further cuticular structures are present.

Remarks. The characters present in the cuticle correspond to those described for G. plicatissimus Heinze, 1952 from Austria and to G. gesneri Heinze, 1937 from Germany ( Heinze 1937, 1952). The drawings of the posterior end of G. plicatissimus ( Heinze 1952) are similar to what is observed in the newly reported specimens; therefore it is assumed that they belong to this species.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Schematic drawing indicating the differences in the distribution of bristles and spines in the posterior end of A. G. helveticus, B. G. karwendeli and C. G. zwicki.