Enchodelus groenlandicus, (Ditlevsen, 1927) Thorne, 1939

Andrássy, I., 2009, Free-living Nematodes from Albania, including the description of three new species, Nematologia Mediterranea 37, pp. 73-88 : 84-85

ENCHODELUS GROENLANDICUS (Ditlevsen, 1927) Thorne, 1939

( Fig. 7 )

Females (n = 2). L = 1.54-1.68 mm; a = 22-23; b = 4.0-4.6; c = 40-46; c’ = 0.7-0.8; V = 44-45 %.

Body 77-80 µm wide at middle. Cuticle 3-4 µm thick on mid-body and 8-9 µm on tail. Lip region rounded, offset by a slight depression, 19-20 µm wide. Body at posterior end of oesophagus 3.5-3.6 times as wide as head. Odontostyle long and thin, 50-51 µm, 2.5-2.6 times as long as labial width; odontophore 52-54 µm long. Oesophagus widened at 62-63%. Dorsal nucleus located at 64-68% of oesophagus length or 14-16% of entire length of body. AS1 = 22-26%, AS2 = 28-32%, PS1 = 53-56%, PS2 = 56-57%; AS nuclei small, rather inconspicuous, PS nuclei prominent. Glandularium 115-133 µm long.

Vulva a transverse slit with large and heavily sclerotized inner lips. Vagina strong, 40-44 µm long, extending well over half a body diameter. Each genital branch about four body widths long. Tail 28-30 µm long, broadly rounded, hemispheroid.

The present specimens fit well the morphological characters of Enchodelus groenlandicus as recently described by Guerrero and Peña-Santiago (2008). This is the second record of this rare species after its original description; E. groenlandicus has previously been reported from terrestrial habitats in Greenland and Spain.

The Albanian specimens were observed in terrestrial habitats at localities No. 8b and 11b.

Figures

Fig. 7. Enchodelus groenlandicus (Ditlevsen, 1927) Thorne, 1939. A: anterior end; B: vulva and vagina; C: female posterior region. (Scale bars 20 µm each).