Trischistoma equatoriale Andrássy, 2006

Zhao, Zeng Qi, 2011, A review of the genus Trischistoma Cobb, 1913 (Nematoda: Enoplida), with descriptions of four new species from New Zealand, Zootaxa 3045, pp. 1-25 : 20-21

Trischistoma equatoriale Andrássy, 2006

Measurements (after Andrássy, 2006)

Females (n = 6): L = 1370–1620 μm; a = 38–44; b = 4.9–5.8; c = 15.2–20.6; c’ = 3.2–3.8; V = 81–83%.

Males (n = 5): L = 1500–1740 μm; a = 46–48; b = 5.4–5.6; c = 14.4–19.3; c’ = 3.2–4.2

Description (after Andrássy, 2006)

Head broadly rounded, 15–18 μm in diameter. Six outer labial setae 8–9 μm long (half as long as labial diameter), four cephalic setae 6–7 μm long, thinner. Dorsal tooth minute, one labial diameter from anterior end. Amphid just behind tooth, calyciform, one head diameter from anterior. Vulva lip slightly sclerotized, vagina short, one third of body diameter. Postvulval uterine sac 98–136 μm long or about three times body diameter and more than half vulva-anus distance. Vulva-anus distance 2.0–2.8 times tail length. Male longer than female (mean 1600 μm vs 1500 μm). Spicules 40–44 μm long, gubernaculum thin. One preanal supplement, 96–105 μm from cloaca. Tail 78–120 μm long, conical, ventrally curved with straight or dorsally bent tip.

Diagnosis and Relationships

Trischistoma equatoriale is characterized by having a relatively long body, a long post-uterine sac, one male supplement, and a short tail in both sexes.

In having a relatively long body (1400–1700 μm) and a well-devevloped postvulval uterine sac, T. equatoriale is distinguished from T. pellucidum , T. gracile , T. triregius sp. nov., T. waiotama sp. nov. and T. tukorehe sp. nov which are 680–850 μm, 1000–1200 μm, 611–846 μm, 675–908 μm & 1088–1149 μm long, respectively and have no postvulval sac. In length and postvulval uterine sac T. equatoriale resembles T. monohystera and T. otaika sp. nov.. It differs from T. monohystera in having a smaller body (1370–1620 μm vs 1500–2100 μm), a longer postvulval sac (occupying about two thirds vs less than half the vulva-anus distance), a short tail (c’ = 3–4 vs 5–7), a longer vulva-anus distance (2.0–2.8 vs 1.5–1.8 tail lengths), and only one precloacal supplement (vs three). It differs from T. otaika sp. nov. in body length (1370–1620 μm vs 1215–1326 μm) and vulval position (V 81 –82 vs 73–76 %).

Habitat and distribution

Wet soil in rain forest, 750 m elevation, El Palmer, Prov. Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

Etymology

Not stated.