Neoctinolaimus chitwoodi ( Moorthy, 1937 ) Thorne, 1967

Sen, Debabrata, 2019, A new species and a new record of Nematoda (Dorylaimida) with further observation on Neoctinolaimus chitwoodi (Moorthy, 1937) Thorne, 1967 from Uttar Pradesh, India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 119 (4) : -

3. Neoctinolaimus chitwoodi ( Moorthy, 1937) Thorne, 1967

1937. Actinolaimus chitwoodi Moorthy, V. N. Proc. Helminth. Soc. Wash. , 4 (2): 61.

1967. Neoctinolaimus chitwoodi Thorne, G. Univ. Puerto Rico Agr. Exp. Tech. Paper No. 43: 1 – 48.

Measurements: See Table 3.

Diagnosis: Female: Body slightly ventrally curved on fixation. Lip almost continuous with body having slight depression. Stoma chitinized, vestibule with four onchia. Cuticle smooth. Expanded part of pharynx starts anterior to the middle of pharynx or 52.3% of the total pharyngeal length. Odontostyle strong, 1.5 labial width long, its aperture occupying about one-third of its length or 33.9% of odontostyle. Odontophore as long as odontostyle. Guiding ring prominent, 21µm from anterior end. Vulva slightly anteriorly placed or pre-equatorial. vagina extending inward more than half or 54.3% of the corresponding body width, Pars refringens vaginae well marked. Reproductive system amphidelphic. Both the gonads well developed, posterior gonad longer than anterior gonad. Pre-rectum 4.7 times as long as rectum or 9.6 anal-body diameter long, rectum two anal-body diameter long. Tail long, attenuated, anterior portion convex and wide, posterior portion narrow, uniformly tapering to a finely rounded terminus, 11.6 anal-body diameter long.

Male: Not found.

Material examined: 1 Female collected on 10-iii-2017 by the author. Z.S.I. Reg. No. WN1974, deposited in National Zoological Collection, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata .

Locality: Lat 28 o 42.855N and long 079 o 56.486E, Dubaha village, Mahof forest range, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve , Pilibhit dist. , Uttar Pradesh .

Habitat: Collected from soil around the roots of wheat ( Triticum sp. ) from agro-ecosystem.

measurements are in μm except L and body ratios, L in mm)

Distribution: India: Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh.

Remark: The present specimen of Neoctinolaimus chitwoodi fits accurately with all the measurements and morphology given by the descriptor of the species ( Moorthy, 1937) indicating the existence of the species in soil habitat, except the shorter total body length (L = 3.4mm in original description) and presence of eggs in uteri. As the original description was on the basis of a single female specimen, the present data may be