Aporcelaimellus salicinus Álvarez-Ortega, Subbotin & Peña-Santiago, 2013

Álvarez-Ortega, Sergio, Abolafia, Joaquín & Peña-Santiago, Reyes, 2013, Studies on the genus Aporcelaimellus Heyns, 1965 (Nematoda, Dorylaimida, Aporcelaimidae). Four atypical species with simple uterus from Southern Iberian Peninsula, Zootaxa 3630 (3), pp. 401-423 : 418-422

Aporcelaimellus salicinus Álvarez-Ortega, Subbotin & Peña-Santiago, 2013

( Figs 5 E, F & 8)

Material examined. Thirty-six females; in variable state of preservation.

Measurements. See Table 4.

SEM observations of lip region: Lip region offset by constriction. Lips mostly amalgamated, the lateral ones not especially separated from the corresponding subventral and subdorsal lips, as usual in the genus (compare Fig. 5 E, F to Fig. 5 A, B), the birradial symmetry hence not so distinct as in other species. Oral field with distinct radial striation between the typical dorso-ventral, hexagonal opening and the margin. Labial and cephalic papillae low, button-like. Amphid fovea protruding on body surface. Outer cuticle layer with distinct, relatively coarse, transverse striation.

TABLE 4. Morphometric data of Aporcelaimellus salicinus Álvarez-Ortega, Subbotin & Peña-Santiago, 2013. Measurements in μm (except L, in mm), and

the form: mean ± standard deviation (range).

Province Almería Granada

Population Tabernas Sierra Sierra Sierra de los

Sierra Nevada-Alpujarras Sierra de los Filabres Sierra Nevada-Alpujarras Desert Arana Jurena Filabres

Character n 10♀♀ ♀ 4♀♀ ♀ ♀ 3♀♀ 2♀♀

1.86 ± 0.11 (1.66–1.99) 1.68 1.88 ± 0.09 (1.79–1.96) 1.86 1.84 2.00 ± 0.13 (1.91–2.14) 1.94, 2.04

33.0 ± 2.3 (30–37)? 32 (n=1) 27 27 30.8 ± 1.0 (30–32) 33, 34

3.7 ± 0.2 (3.4–4.1) 3.5 4.3 (n=1)? 3.8 3.2, 3.7 (n=2)?

59.5 ± 3.9 (55 –65) 49 59.2 ± 1.0 (58–61) 60 58 61.3 ± 3.4 (58–64) 55, 58

1.0 ± 0.0 (0.9–1.0) 1.0 1.0 ± 0.1 (0.9–1.1) 1.0 0.9 0.9, 1.0 (n=2) 0.54, 0.52

53.4 ± 1.5 (51–56) 54 52.9 ± 0.4 (52–53) 49 54 52.8 ± 0.9 (52–53) 1.0, 0.9 region diam. 15.7 ± 0.1 (16–16) 16 18.1 ± 1.2 (17–19) 18 18 18.2 ± 0.8 (17–19) 16 (n=2) Odontostyle length 19.8 ± 0.7 (18–21) 20 21.3 ± 0.5 (21–22) 22 23 22.4 ± 0.8 (22–23) 20 (n=2) Odontophore length 34.7 ± 1.2 (33–37) 34 38.1 ± 0.5 (38–39) 34 35 45.2 ± 1.3 (44–46) 36, 34 Guiding ring from ant. end 8.7 ± 0.3 (8–9) 9 9.2 ± 0.5 (9–10) 11 11 10.2 ± 0.7 (9–11) 9 (n=2) Neck length 497 ± 21 (464–533) 479 460 (n=1)? 485 525, 604 (n=2)?

Pharyngeal expansion length 259 ± 19 (235–286) 253 224 (n=1)? 248 253, 324 (n=2)?

Diam. at neck base 54.6 ± 3.8 (50–61) 65 54 (n=1) 58 61 63.7 ± 5.1 (60–70) 53, 57 at mid-body 56.5 ± 4.7 (51–63) 66 61 (n=1) 68 67 65.0 ± 5.4 (61–71) 59, 60 at anus 30.9 ± 1.1 (30–34) 35 32.0 ± 1.9 (29–33) 31 34 33, 34 (n=2) 35, 37 Prerectum length 50.8 ± 5.9 (42–58) 49 44 68 70 82 (n=1) 40, 38 Rectum length 46.6 ± 1.7 (43–49) 39 44.2 ± 4.2 (41–49) 43 49 53.2 ± 1.2 (52–54) 44, 46 length 31.3 ± 1.4 (30–35) 34 31.8 ± 1.2 (31–33) 31 32 32.6 ± 2.1 (30–34) 36, 35

……continued on the next page Distribution. Province of Almería: (i) Sierra Nevada-Alpujarras, road from Canjáyar to Ugíjar, thyme and esparto (needle grass) field; (ii) Tabernas Desert, Miniholliwood, Retama sphaerocarpa ; and (iii) Sierra de los Filabres, road to Calar Alto, R. sphaerocarpa and esparto (needle grass) field. Province of Granada: (iv) Sierra Arana, Darro, esparto (needle grass) field; (v) Sierra Jurena, Sierras de la Sagra, Jurena y Guillimona Natural Park, road from Huéscar to La Puebla de Don Fadrique, holm oak forest; Sierra Nevada-Alpujarras, road to Lanjarón, R. sphaerocarpa and esparto (needle grass) field; and (vi) Sierra de los Filabres, road to Caniles, R. sphaerocarpa . Province of Jaén: (vii) Sierras de Andújar Natural Park, Andújar, near Jándula river, blackberry ( Rosa sp.); (viii) Sierra Mágina Natural Park, Sierra de la Cruz, Hoyo de la Laguna, meadow; (ix) Sierra de Cazorla, Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, road to Guadalquivir river source, oak trees ( Quercus coccifera ); and (x) Sierra de Segura, Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, road to Segura river source, pine forest. Province of Málaga: (xi) Guadalhorce river basin, road from Villanueva del Trabuco to Puerto de los Alazores, almond trees; (xii) Sierra de Alhama, Sierras Alhama, Tejeda y Almijara Natural Park, La Axarquía shire, Boquete de Zafarraya cave, meadow; and (xiii) Antequera Plains, road from Fuente de Piedra to Alameda, olive trees, R. sphaerocarpa , Ulex parviflorus and Daphne gnidium .

Remarks. This species, recently described from California ( USA), is widely distributed in Andalusian soils. The abundant material herein examined forms a rather homogenous group, although some interpopulational differences are observed in, for instance, general body size, odontophore length, etc. Iberian populations are nearly identical to American ones, although the range of measurements and ratios are notably extended and some (minor) differences are observed in the location of DN (59–63 vs DN = 63–68) and in the morphology of caudal region, which is a little shorter in Iberian specimens (c’ = 0.8–1.1 vs c’ = 1.0–1.4) and whose inner cuticle layer shows a perceptible variability in its refraction compared to that of other layers, being similar ( Fig. 8 L) or quite dissimilar ( Fig. 8 J, K, M), maybe as a result of the fixation process.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Aporcelaimellus hyalinus sp. n. (SEM, female). A: Lip region, in face view. B: Lip region, lateral view. C: Vulva region. D: Vulva. A. salicinus Álvarez-Ortega, Subbotin & Peña-Santiago, 2013 (SEM, female). E, F: Lip region, lateral view. (Scale bars: A, E, F = 2 µm; B = 5 µm; C = 10 µm; D = 2.5 µm).

FIGURE 8. Aporcelaimellus salicinus Álvarez-Ortega, Subbotin & Peña-Santiago, 2013 (LM, female). A: Entire. B, C: Anterior region in median, lateral view. D: Pharyngeal expansion. E: Lip region in lateral surface view. F: Posterior body region. G, I: Vagina. H: Pharyngo-intestinal junction. J – M: Caudal region. (Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B, F, H = 20 µm; C, G, I, J – M = 10 µm; D = 50 µm; E = 5 µm).