Veleshkinema iranicum, Miraeiz, Esmaeil, Heydari, Ramin, Álvarez-Ortega, Sergio, Pedram, Majid & Atighi, Mohammad Reza, 2015

Miraeiz, Esmaeil, Heydari, Ramin, Álvarez-Ortega, Sergio, Pedram, Majid & Atighi, Mohammad Reza, 2015, Molecular and morphological characterization of Veleshkinema iranicum n. gen., n. sp. (Nematoda: Hexatylina, Sphaerularioidea) from Iran, Zootaxa 4000 (5), pp. 531-546 : 538-540

Veleshkinema iranicum n. gen., n. sp.

(Figs 1–5)

Measurements. See Table 3 .

Description. Female. Free-living. Medium sized nematodes. Body mostly straight after heat relaxation, sometimes irregularly bent, slightly tapering towards both ends. Cuticle with fine transverse annulations, annuli about 1.2–1.7 Μm wide at mid-body. Lateral field barely visible by light microscopy, not raised, beginning anteriorly at the end of procorpus with three lines (forming two bands) increasing to six areolated equidistant incisures at mid-body, approximately one-fourth as wide as body diameter, gradually decreasing to four at tail region. Deirids at the level of excretory pore. Cephalic region low, anteriorly flat, continuous with body contour, 1- 2 µm high and 6–8 µm wide. Stylet delicate with asymmetrical minute knobs, conus shorter than shaft (28–38% of total stylet length); DGO opens just posterior to subventral knob. Procorpus non-muscular, metacorpus less developed, isthmus slender, pharyngeal gland lobe dorsally (sometimes dorso-laterally) overlapping intestine about 0.5–2.1 times corresponding body diameter, cardia distinct. Nerve ring circum-pharyngeal, always anterior to excretory pore, located 62–99 µm from anterior end. Excretory pore with sclerotized duct. Hemizonid barely visible, just anterior to excretory pore (5–11 Μm anterior to excretory pore), 2–3 annuli long. Intestine with distinct lumen ending in a distinct rectum. Reproductive system monodelphic-prodelphic, occupying 41–70% of the body length, ovary outstretched, sometimes reaching dorsal pharyngeal gland, with single row of oocytes. Oviduct cellular, spermatheca rounded, offset and filled with minute spheroid sperm (2–3 µm in diameter). Crustaformeria apparently quadricolumellate, with 8–10 distinct cells in each column, uterus thick-walled, vagina well-sclerotized and sigmoid. Vulva a wide transverse slit with prominent lips and a single epiptygma. Tail conical, with pointed tip, sometimes with a small mucron or bifurcate.

1. Length of conus as percentage of total stylet length.

2. Distance between anterior end of body and center of median pharyngeal bulb as percentage of pharyngeal length. 3. Distance from pharyngo-intestinal junction to end of dorsal gland tip.

Male. Free-living. General morphology similar to that of female, slightly shorter and more slender. Genital system monorchic, testis outstretched, occupying 52–61% of the body length, with developing spermatocytes in single or two rows, never reaching dorsal pharyngeal gland lobe. Spicules tylenchoid, ventrally arcuate with rounded apex. Gubernaculum simple. Bursa annulated, subterminal. Tail similar to that of female.

Entomoparasitic generation. Not found.

Etymology.The name of the genus refers to Veleshk, the region where the new genus was recovered. The species epithet refers to the country of origin.

Tables

TABLE 3. Morphometrics of Veleshkinema iranicum n. gen., n. sp. All measurements are in Μm and in the form: mean ± s. d. (range).

	Female		Male
Characters	Holotype	Paratypes	Paratypes
n	-	18	13
L	775	745 ± 80 (609–880)	674 ± 70 (553–790)
L´	709	692 ± 78 (561–825)	623 ± 67 (509–735)
a	38.8	30 ± 5 (21– 40)	38 ± 3.5 (32.5–45)
b	5.5	6.0 ± 0.7 (4.8–7.7)	5.7 ± 0.6 (4.5–6.8)
b´	5.0	5.0 ± 0.3 (4.4–5.4)	5 ± 0.3 (4.2–5.4)
c	11.7	14.5 ± 1.9 (12–18.5)	13.5 ± 1 (12–15)
c´	4.8	3.7 ± 0.5 (2.6–4.7)	3.4 ± 0.2 (3–3.7)
V or T	82	83 ± 1.5 (81–85)	53 ± 5.5 (44–62)
Head height	1.0	1.7 ± 0.3 (1–2)	1.7 ± 0.3 (1–2)
Head width	6.5	6.9 ± 0.5 (6–8)	6.5 ± 0.5 (6–7)
Stylet	7.0	7.0 ± 0.3 (6.5–7.5)	7.0 ± 0.3 (6.5–7.5)
Conus	2.5	2.5 ± 0.3 (2–3)	2.3 ± 0.3 (2.0–2.5)
m 1	35.7	35 ± 3.5 (28.5–43)	33 ± 3 (29–36)
Anterior end to widest portion of metacorpus	43	38 ± 3 (34–44)	40 ± 3.5 (35–45)
MB²	??	31 ± 3.5 (26–38.5)	33 ± 2.7 (29–39)
Nerve ring from anterior body	78	74 ± 11 (54–99)	72 ± 8 (60–83)
Excretory pore	115	103 ± 17 (76–141)	102 ± 12 (82–116)
Maximum body width	20	25 ± 5 (17–34)	18 ± 1.5 (15–21)
Head-vulva	634	617 ± 71 (498–744)	_
Vulva –anus	78	76 ± 9 (60–92)	_
Pharyngeal length	140	126 ± 12.5 (107–145)	119 ± 6 (110–131)
Overlapping³	15	24 ± 11 (10–52)	16.5 ± 7.5 (7–33)
Testis or ovary length	343	430 ± 101(273–603)	380 ± 40 (325–461)
Anal (cloacal) body width	13.5	14 ± 1.2 (12–16.5)	15 ± 1 (13–16)
Tail length	66	53 ± 6.5 (37–62)	50 ± 4.5 (43–56)
Spicule length (arc line)	_	_	17 ± 1 (16–18.5)
Gubernaculum	_	_	6.5 ± 0.5 (6–8)