Camacolaimus australis Allgén, 1932

Holovachov, Oleksandr & Boström, Sven, 2015, Swedish Plectida (Nematoda). Part 10. The genus Deontolaimus de Man, 1880, Zootaxa 4034 (1), pp. 1-44 : 26-27

Camacolaimus australis Allgén, 1932

( Fig. 11 )

Female. Body slender, cylindrical over most of its length, tapering anteriorly in anterior half of pharyngeal region and posteriorly on tail; strongly ventrally curved upon fixation. Cuticle annulated. Lateral field, body pores, epidermal glands and subcephalic, cervical and somatic sensilla cannot be observed. Labial region rounded, continuous with body contour. Inner and outer labial sensilla indistinct. Cephalic sensilla setiform. Amphidial fovea ventrally-unispiral, located at level with cephalic sensilla bases. Ocelli absent. Nerve ring, hemizonid and secretory-excretory system cannot be observed. Oral opening terminal. Onchiostyle relatively short, poorly preserved. Pharynx cylindrical anteriorly, expanding posteriorly; pharyngeal glands indistinct. Cardia short, embedded in intestine. Reproductive system didelphic, amphidelphic; ovary branches reflexed antidromously. Vagina straight. Epiptygmata and pars refringens vaginae absent. Rectum short. Tail elongate-conoid, ventrally curved. Spinneret acute, bent dorsad.

Discussion. The specimen matches the diagnosis of the family Camacolaimidae in general and of the genera Deontolaimus and Procamacolaimus in particular, in having a single dorsal onchiostyle and paired female reproductive system. This species was considered synonymous with Deontolaimus tardus by Gerlach & Riemann (1973). This opinion is rejected here due to differences between the two species in the shape of onchiostyle (small and thin in C. australis vs large and robust in D. tardus ), position of the cephalic setae (at level with amphid in C. australis vs posterior to amphid base in D. tardus ), shape of spinneret (thin and acute in C. australis vs robust in D. tardus ). Absence of males prevents from more precise identification of this species. It is considered species inquirenda et incerta sedis within the family Camacolaimidae .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Camacolaimus australis Allgén, 1932, lectotype female. A – B: Anterior end at different focal planes; C: Spinneret; D: Entire female. Scale bars: A – C = 10 µm, D = 50 µm.