Chordodes ferganensis Kirjanova & Spiridonov 1989

Villalobos, Cristina De, Zanca, Fernanda & Spiridonov, Sergei, 2007, Fine morphology of the cuticle surface of Chordodes anthophorus and reinterpretation of C. aquaeductus, C. ferganensis and C. oscillatus (Gordiida Nematomorpha), Zootaxa 1397, pp. 39-45 : 43-44

[ Chordodes ferganensis Kirjanova & Spiridonov 1989 ]

( Figure 3 C, 3D)

1989. Chordodes ferganensis Kirjanova & Spiridonov Parasitologiya 23: 358.

Holotype: 1 female ( ZIS 100).

Type locality: Uzbekistan, near Fergana city

Material examined: Holotype SEM midbody

Host: undetermined mantid (Kirjanova & Spiridonov 1989).

Description: Cuticle covered by five types of areole ( Figs. 3 C, 3D). Simple areoles with smooth surface or bearing short bristles, some oval or rounded areoles carrying apical fingerlike tubercle (tubercle areoles) and clusters of crowned and circumcluster areoles with short apical filaments ( Fig. 3 C). Restricted to the ventral and dorsal midline there are another type of crowned areoles with long filaments that occur in clusters of two and surrounded by circumcluster areoles ( Fig. 3 D).

Dimensions: Length 266 mm, maximal diameter 2 mm (Kirjanova & Spiridonov 1989).

Comments: Kirjanova & Spiridonov (1989) described Chordodes ferganensis with 4 areolar types and also indicate the presence of crowned areoles with long filaments in mid­ventral and mid­dorsal longitudinal lines without designating them as another areolar type. Our reinvestigation by SEM ( Fig. 3 C) shows that the features of the cuticle of Chordodes ferganensis are coincident with the ones described for the lectotype of C.

anthophorus . Kirjanova & Spiridonov (1989) specify these similarities and consider that C. ferganensis is quite close to C. anthophorus and C. aquaeductus but differs by the presence of the crowned areoles with very long projections. This type of crowned areoles, along the ventral and dorsal midline, has also been observed by the authors in the lectotype of C. anthophorus . Therefore, we regard C. ferganensis as a synonym of C. anthophorus .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Cuticle of the midbody: (A) specimen labelled as “ Chordodes moutoni ” (ZIS 97); (B) [Chordodes aquaeductus] (ZIS 90); (C and D) [Chordodes ferganensis] (ZIS 100); (C) Cuticle of the body with simple, tubercle, crowned and circumcluster areoles (numbering as in Fig. 1 B), (D) Cluster of crowned areoles with long filaments (5) along the ventral midline; (E and F) [Chordodes oscillatus] (ZIS 102), midbody cuticle showing four areolar types with the same characteristics of Chordodes anthophorus. Bars: (A and C): 20 µm; (B, and F): 20 µm; (D): 50 µm; (E): 10 µm.