Tylolaimophorus digitatus Husain & Khan, 1967

Ghaderi, Reza, Asghari, Ramezan & Eskandari, Ali, 2020, Systematics of the genus Tylolaimophorus de Man, 1880 (Nematoda Diphtherophoridae), with description of T. minor (Thorne, 1939) Goodey, 1963 from Iran, Zootaxa 4755 (2), pp. 322-340 : 330

Tylolaimophorus digitatus Husain & Khan, 1967

After Husain & Khan (1967)

MEASUREMENTS

Holotype female: L = 0.44 mm; a = 18; b = 4.6; spear = 17 µm; c = 15; V = 57.

3 paratype females: L = 0.36-0.44 mm; a = 16-18; b = 4.1-4.6; body width = (23) µm; spear = 16-17 µm; pharynx = (105) µm; tail = (28) µm; c = 14-20; c’ = (1.8); V = 53-65.

1 paratype male: L = 0.35 mm; a = 22; b = 5.1; body width = (16) µm; spear = 13 µm; pharynx = (70) µm; tail = (17) µm; c = 17.5; c’ = (1.3); spicules = 23 µm; gubernaculum = 8 µm.

DESCRIPTION

Female. Body cylindrical, ventrally arcuate when relaxed by gentle heat, tapering at both extremities. Cuticle loosely fitted to the body except at head, vulva and anus. Lip region rounded, offset from the body by a deep constriction. Labial papillae not prominently elevated. Spear typical of the genus, guided by well-developed protruding muscles. The anterior portion of pharynx a slender tube crossed by nerve ring below its middle. Basal pharyngeal bulb pyriform. Cardia hemispheroid. Intestine packed with dense granules. Rectum short, three fourths of the anal-body width long. Vulva transverse. Vagina at right angles to the body axis, extending into the body less than one-third of the vulval body width and surrounded by a globular area formed by the muscles around it. Female gonads paired, opposed and reflexed. Oocytes arranged in a single row. Tail convex-conoid, digitate, nearly twice the anal-body width in length. Two pairs of caudal pores present.

Male. Similar to female in general shape and appearance with a slenderer body, longer pharynx and smaller spear. Testis single, outstretched. Spicules paired, ventrally arcuate, cephalated, with a rounded tip. Gubernaculum simple. Tail shape as in female.

DIAGNOSIS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Tylolaimophorus digitatus was differentiated from all known species at the time of description by smaller body size and the shape of the spicules. It has been further distinguished from T. indicus in having an offset lip region, smaller average body size (0.36-0.44 vs 0.41-0.50 mm), spear length (16-17 vs 18-21 µm) and the shape of the spicules.

DISTRIBUTION

Described from the rhizosphere of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. in Rampur, India ( Husain & Khan 1967).