Enchodorus dolichurus Vinciguerra, 1976

Pourjam, Ebrahim, Pedram, Majid, Vinciguerra, Maria T. & Robbins, Robert T., 2010, Enchodelus decraemerae sp. n. and Enchodorus dolichurus Vinciguerra, 1976 (Dorylaimida: Nordiidae), two rare species from Iran, Russian Journal of Nematology 18 (2), pp. 191-197 : 196

Enchodorus dolichurus Vinciguerra, 1976 ( Fig 2 )

Measurements: See Table 2 .

Females: nematodes of medium size, slightly curved ventrad after fixation. Body tapering towards both ends very gradually. Cuticle marked with slight transverse striae, 2.0-3.0 µm thick in the anterior region and at mid-body, and 4.0 µm anterior to anus. Lateral chords 24 - 25 % of corresponding body width. Lip region cap-like, 2.2 times as wide as high, well set off from the rest of body by a constriction; labial and cephalic papillae protruding, giving lips an angular aspect. Amphid fovea cup-shaped, opening at lips base, occupying 50-60% of corresponding body diameter. Odontostyle needlelike, about as long as lip width, with very small aperture. Odontophore rod-like, more than twice as long as odontostyle. Guiding ring double, the posterior one located at 7-9 µm from anterior end. Pharynx consisting of a slender but well muscled portion expanding gradually into the basal expansion, which occupies 35% of neck length. Pharyngeal gland nuclei located as follows: D: 71.5- 73.0%, AS1 and AS2: not seen; PS: 45.0-46.5%. Cardia cylindroid, about as long as wide (8-11 × 10 µm). Intestine simple, containing green material in almost all examined specimens. Genital system didelphic-amphidelphic, genital branches 180-225 µm long. Ovaries reflexed, 50-70 µm long. Oviduct 95-120 µm long, consisting of a slender distal part and of a well developed pars dilatata. Sphincter well developed between oviduct and uterus. Uterus 80-110 µm long, consisting of a wide proximal part with distinct lumen containing a mature egg in one female, 40-95 µm in size, and/or very small elliptic sperms (2 x 4 m) and of a narrower distal part. Vagina extending inwards for 50-55% of corresponding body width; pars proximalis about as long as wide, 17-20×17-22 µm; pars refringens in lateral view composed of two sclerotised pieces 3-4 µm long, and pars distalis 5-6 µm long. Vulva a transverse slit. Prerectum 3.9-4.8 times and rectum about as long as anal body width. Tail elongate conoid, almost filiform in its distal part, 4-7 times as long as anal body width.

Males: General morphology similar to that of females, with posterior region more ventrally curved. Genital system diorchic, with opposed testes. An adanal pair of male copulatory supplements located at 13-14 µm from cloacal opening and a series of 3-4 well spaced ventromedian supplements ending at 70-80 µm distance from cloacal opening. Spicules dorylaimoid, massive, 4.4-4.8 times as long as wide. Lateral guiding pieces 11 µm long. Tail convexconoid proximally, then almost filiform, 5-5.5 times as long as anal body width.

The morphometric and morphological characters of this population accord fairly well with the original data except for index c (see table 2), slightly smaller from that in original description (9.2-9.8 vs. 11-13). This is the first report of genus Enchodorus from Iran and of E. dolichurus after its first record in Italy.

A population of this species was found in superficial soil samples collected from Nahar Khoran forests, Gorgan, north of Iran, in association with mosses on March 2010.

Figures

Fig. 2. Enchodorus dolichurus Vinciguerra,1976. A: Neck region; B: Lip region; C: Anterior genital tract, D: Posterior end of female, E: Posterior end of male.