Pungentus clavatus, Ahmad & Jairajpuri, 1979

Andrássy, I., 2009, Free-living Nematodes from Albania, including the description of three new species, Nematologia Mediterranea 37, pp. 73-88 : 86-87

PUNGENTUS CLAVATUS Ahmad et Jairajpuri, 1979

( Fig. 9 )

Female s (n = 2). L = 1.69-1.74 mm; a = 35-36; b = 3.7-3.8; c = 38-40; c’ = 0.7; V = 39-40%.

Body slender, 47-49 µm wide at middle; nearly straight after fixation. Cuticle smooth, 3 µm wide at mid-body and 6-7 µm on tail. Lip region rounded, 14 µm wide, lips amalgamated. Body at posterior end of oesophagus 3.4-3.6 times as wide as head. Four small sclerotized platelets present at the entrance of mouth cavity. Odontostyle long and slender, slightly sinuate, 32-34 µm, 2.2-2.4 times as long as labial width. Odontophore rodlike. Guide ring double but thin. Oesophagus 448-456 µm long, widened at 47-48%. Dorsal oesophageal nucleus located at 52-54% of oesophagus length or 14% of entire length of body. AS1 = 20-22%, AS2 = 24-26%, PS1 = 65-66%, PS2 = 66-67%. Glandularium 204-208 µm long. Pre-rectum 3.2-4.4 times as long as anal body width, rectum shorter than anal body diameter.

Female genital organ mono-opisthodelphic. Vulva transverse with sclerotized inner lips; vagina 25-27 µm long, equal to half body width. Anterior uterine sac shorter than half a body width. Posterior gonad 5.0-5.4 body widths long or occupying 14-15% of total body length. Vulva-anus distance equal to 33-36 tail lengths. Tail 28-30 µm long, hemispheroid, distinctly clavate with very thick cuticle.

The present specimens agree well with the original description of Ahmad and Jairajpuri (1979). Pungentus clavatus is easily recognized by the shape of its tail.

It is a fairly rare species, hitherto observed in Europe (Poland, Spain, Italy), Asia (India) and North America (Canada). The Albanian specimens came from a grassy soil at locality No. 8a.

Figures

Fig. 9. Pungentus clavatus Ahmad et Jairajpuri, 1979. A: anteri- or end; B: female posterior region. (Scale bars 20 µm each).