Nothacrobeles abolafiai, Mehdizadeh, Sara & Shokoohi, Ebrahim, 2013

Mehdizadeh, Sara & Shokoohi, Ebrahim, 2013, The genera Nothacrobeles Allen & Noffsinger, 1971 and Zeldia Thorne, 1937 (Nematoda: Rhabditida: Cephalobidae) from southern Iran, with description of N. abolafiai sp. n., Zootaxa 3637 (3), pp. 325-340 : 328-332

Nothacrobeles abolafiai sp. n.

( Figs 1 & 2 )

Measurements. See Table 2 .

Description. Material from Negar, province of Kerman (8ƤƤ):

Female: Body 0.51–0.65 mm long. Habitus somewhat curved ventrad after fixation. Cuticle “single”, without punctation. Annuli 2.8 Μm wide. Lateral field with three longitudinal incisures, occupying 11–16% of midbody diameter, becoming less distinct toward tail terminus. Lip region offset from the neck, bearing six labial and four cephalic papillae. Amphid openings circular. Three pairs of asymmetrical lips, one dorsal and two ventrolateral. Primary axils deep, U-shaped, bearing two guard processes. Secondary axils shallow, obtusely V-shaped, without guard processes. Three labial probolae 8.5–9.4 μm high, expanded at proximal part and bifurcated at about half of their length, lacking secondary bifurcation. Prongs divergent, straight, more curved at tips, lacking lateral tines. Basal ridge smooth, protruding toward the secondary axil, rounded in lateral view. Stoma cephaloboid. Cheilostom with well-developed oval rhabdia. Gymnostom narrower than cheilostom and as wide as stegostom. Pharyngeal corpus cylindrical, 3.3–4.1 times isthmus length. Pharyngeal corpus-isthmus junction not swollen. Basal bulb ovoid to spheroid, 15–16 µm wide and 21–23 µm long. Cardia conoid, surrounded by intestinal tissue. Nerve ring at 71–79% of neck length, at isthmus level, 20–27 annuli from anterior end. Excretory pore at 79–94% of neck length, at bulb level, 25–32 annuli from anterior end. Deirid at 94–95% of neck length, 33–37 annuli from anterior end. Intestine without distinct specialization. Reproductive system monodelphic-prodelphic, dextral. Ovary without flexure in postvulvar region. Oviduct short. Spermatheca 0.8–1.2 times as long as corresponding body diameter. Uterus two times as long as the corresponding body diameter. Postuterine sac 0.5–0.7 times the corresponding body diameter in length. Vagina extending inwards 0.3–0.4 times the corresponding body diameter. Rectum 0.9–1.3 times the anal body diameter in extent. Tail conical with rounded terminus, having 12–15 ventral annuli. Phasmid at 38–43% of tail length.

Male: Unknown.

Type locality and habitat. The new species was collected in Negar (province of Kerman, Iran; N: 29º50'42.9"; E: 056º52'36.2"; date of sampling: 2012), associated with the rhizosphere of Haloxylon persicum L.

Type material. Six females (holotype and paratypes) deposited in the Nematology Laboratory (Plant Protection Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran) and two paratype females deposited in Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Jaén ( Spain).

Diagnosis. Nothacrobeles abolafiai sp. n. is characterized by its body length (518–655 Μm in females), “single” cuticle, lateral field with three incisures, labial probolae 8.5–9.4 Μm long, bifurcated and without tines, bearing a minor curvature at tip, pharyngeal corpus 3.3–4.1 times isthmus length, R ex = 25–32, spermatheca 22–30 μm long or 0.8–1.2 times the corresponding body diameter, postuterine sac 15–18 Μm long or 0.5–0.7 times the corresponding body diameter long, female tail conical with rounded terminus (31–43 Μm, c = 11.9–18.1, c' = 1.7– 2.4), phasmid at 38–43% of tail length.

Relationships. The new species presents some similarities to N. borregi Poiras, Baldwin, Mundo-Ocampo & Bumbarger, 2002 , N. capricornis (Holovachov, Boström, Susulovsky & Nevo, 2001) Abolafia & Peña-Santiago, 2003 , and N. laticorallis (De Ley & Vandebroek, 1992) Poiras, Baldwin, Mundo-Ocampo & Bumbarger, 2002 , all of which are characterized by bifurcated labial probolae lacking tines. However, the new species differs from N. borregi in body length (518–655 vs 366–407 µm), labial probolae morphology (bifurcated in more than half of total length vs bifurcated in less than half of total length), cuticle structure (without punctation vs with punctation), longer stoma (9–11 vs 6–9 µm), pharynx (121–129 vs 81–91 µm), and spermatheca (20–30 vs 13–19 µm), more posterior phasmid position (38–43% vs 15–25% of tail length), and has different tail tip morphology (rounded vs pointed). From N. capricornis , the most similar species morphologically, differs in general morphology of labial probolae (slightly expanded at proximal part and basal ridge rounded in lateral view vs not expanded at proximal part and basal ridge acute in lateral view), lateral field (three longitudinal incisures vs four longitudinal incisures), more posterior position of excretory pore (79–94% of neck length vs 62–78% of neck length), shorter spermatheca (vs 28–50 µm), corpus isthmus ratio (3.3–4.1 vs 2.1–3.3), tail length shorter (31–43 vs 41–64 µm), and tail with different tip morphology (rounded vs pointed). From N. laticollaris it differs in shorter female body (vs 286–310 µm), labial probolae morphology (prongs without bifurcation vs prongs with bifurcation), more posterior excretory pore position (vs 54–60% of neck length), longer spermatheca (vs 10–12 µm), and tail with different tip morphology (rounded vs pointed).

Subbotin and Baldwin, 2005 (all measurements in Μm).

Species N. abolafiai sp. n. Z. punctata Z. spannata

Locality Negar (province of Kerman) Shahdad (province of Kerman) Gharyatolarab (province of Kerman)

Habitat Haloxylon persicum Citrus sinensis Haloxylon persicum

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honor of Prof. Dr. Joaquín Abolafia Cobaleda (University of Jaén, Spain), because of his valuable work on the taxonomy of the family Cephalobidae .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nothacrobeles abolafiai sp. n. (female). A: Neck. B: Anterior end. C, F: Lip region (surface view): D: Reproductive system. E: Entire female. G: Lateral field. H-J: Posterior end.

FIGURE 2. Nothacrobeles abolafiai sp. n. (LM, female). A: Neck. B: Lip region (I: primary axil, II: secondary axil, 1 – 5: labial tines). C: Reproductive system. D: Lateral field. E: Posterior end (arrow indicates phasmid).

Tables

TABLE 2. Measurements of Nothacrobeles abolafiai sp. n., Zeldia punctata (Thorne, 1925) Thorne, 1937, and Z. spannata Waceke, Bumbarger, Mundo-Ocampo,

Character	Holotype female	Paratype females	Females	Females	Males
n Body length	1 555	7 577.9±44.2 (518–655	3 681.8±59.6 (618–736)	5 596.4±71.1 (509–691)	2 636, 446
a	21.8	21.0±1.4 (19.6–23.5)	21.4±2.6 (19.2–24.4)	20.9±1.8 (18.6–23.6)	21.1, 24.4
b	4.4	4.3±0.3 (3.9–5.0)	351.6±363.6 (3.3–3.4)	4.1±0.2 (3.8–4.4)	4.5, 4.4
c	13.7	14.6±2.0 (11.9–18.1)	16.2±0.5 (15.6–16.6)	14.6±0.6 (14.0–15.6)	12.0, 11.0
cˏ	2.3	2.1±0.2 (1.7–2.4)	1.9±0.1 (1.8–2.1)	2.3±0.2 (2.1–2.7)	1.9, 2.5
V	57	60.8±2.4 (61–65)	65.3±1.04 (64–66)	62.1±3.1 (57–64)	-
Lip region width	11	12.0±0.5 (11–12)	10.1±0.5 (9–10)	11.9±1.5 (9–13)	12, 12
Labial probolae	9	9.0±0.5 (8.5–9.4)	4.1±0.5 (4–5)	10.4±0.9 (9–11)	11, 11
Stoma	9	10.1±0.7 (9–11)	13.2±0.9 (12–14)	12.1±1.3 (10–14)	11, 11
Pharyngeal corpus	81	80.7±3.2 (77–86)	139.3±8.2 (130–146)	79.8±2.4 (76–82)	78, 82
Isthmus	21	22.6±1.1 (21–24)	16.6±2.3 (14–19)	25.5±2.9 (23–30)	20, 26
Bulb	20	21.1±0.9 (21–24)	27.9±1.1 (27–29)	22.6±0.6 (22–24)	24, 23
Pharynx length	123	125.5±3.5 (121–129)	183.9±10.8 (172–192)	127.9±4.2 (124–135)	122, 131
Neck length	127	133.1±3.8 (127–139)	198.4±14.1 (184–212)	146.8±11.2 (134–158)	141, 146
Nerve ring-anterior end	98	101.2±2.5 (98–106)	114.4±8.5 (106–123)	97.9±9.4 (86–111)	103, 108
Excretory pore-ant. end	105	118.7±6.4 (110–126)	120.4±9.1 (112–130)	108.9±13 (93–123)	117, 117
Deirid to anterior end	126	128.0±2.0 (126–130)	137.2±18.01 (124.150)	133±14 (118–152)	?, 136
Annuli width	2.8	2.8±0.0 (2.8)	2.8	3.5±0.5 (2.8–3.8)	2.8
Cuticle thickness	2.8	2.8±0.0 (2.8)	4.1±0.5 (3.7–4.7)	1.9	1.9
Body width: neck base	23	25.6±2.3 (23–29)	30.5±3.3 (27–34)	26.7±3.3 (24–30)	28, 26
Body width: midbody	26	27.6±3.0 (24–33)	32.08±3.7 (28–36)	28.5±1.2 (27–30)	30, 26
Body width: anus	18	18.9±1.7 (16–21)	21.7±2.4 (20–25)	18.1±2.49 (16–21)	27, 24
Lateral field	3.8	3.8±0.0 (3.8)	4.4±0.5 (3.7–4.7)	5.0±0.5 (4.7–5.7)	3.8
Vagina	8	8.8±0.7 (8–9)	10.6±0.5 (10–11)	11.5±1.2 (10–13)	-
Vulva to anterior end	318	350.6±18.8 (327–382)	445.4±32.7 (409–473)	369.1±31.2 (327–400)	-
Ovary	198	201.4±14.4 (188–224)	309.8±47.3 (266–360)	231.8±24.3 (200–259)	-
Postuterine sac	18	16.4±1.1 (15–18)	13.2±2.8 (10–16)	30.0±3.3 (26–35)	-
Spermatheca	30	24.2±2.6 (22–28)	12.8±1.08 (12–14)	34.9±3.2 (32–40)	-
Rectum	18	21.2±2.5 (18–26)	26.1±1.9 (25–28)	21.0±2.7 (17–23)	?
Tail	41	40.0±4.4 (31–43)	42.1±4.7 (38–47)	40.9±5.3 (35–47)	53, 59
Spicules	-	-	-	-	31, 33
Gubernaculum	-	-	-	-	14, 17