Diploscapter coronatus (Cobb, 1893) Cobb, 1913

Falahzadah, Mohammad Hussain, Shokoohi, Ebrahim, Moravej, Gholam Hossein, Mashela, Phatu William, Madadi, Abdul Khalid & Karimi, Javad, 2021, Entomophilic nematodes, Diploscapter coronatus and Oscheius tipulae from Afghanistan, Zootaxa 4926 (3), pp. 401-416 : 404

Diploscapter coronatus (Cobb, 1893) Cobb, 1913

( Fig. 1 )

Measurement: Table 1.

Female: After fixing, the overall shape of the body was almost straight, mostly cylindrical, slightly undulated with tapering towards the posterior end and maximum body width occurring near the vulva. It had six lips region with flexible hook-like (4.3–5 µm high) subdorsal and the subventral. The membrane lateral lips were high and with serrated margins, not easily seen under the LM because only the central triangular section was more refractive. Annuli were 1–2 µm wide at midbody, and stoma was 1.5 times longer than lip region width. The lateral field inhabited at 15–12% of the midbody diameter, with four incisures under LM. Vulva situated around mid-body, and the pharyngeal corpus separated from the isthmus. Tail was straight, conoid anteriorly, filiform posteriorly, only supplied with somatic muscle tissue until mid-length, cuticular in the posterior half of its length-the middle of the basal bulb spheroid with well-developed valves. Hemispherical cardia circled by intestinal tissues. Intestine did not have peculiar differentiation. Nerve ring at isthmus level made 71–78% of neck length. Excretory pore extended to 80–90% of neck length at the level of the posterior portion of the isthmus. Ovaries were straight with a slight flexure. Uterus region was short and less than the corresponding body diameter. The vagina was surrounded by thin walls, extending 16–24% of body diameter inwards. Rectum was 1.3–1.6 times longer than anal body diameter.

Male: not found.

Remarks: The isolate examined from Afghanistan is different from Iranian populations studied by Shokoohi & Abolafia (2011; 2019) in body length (430–532 vs. 29–390 μm), c’ (5–5.2 vs. 3.7–7.1), V (49.6–54.7 vs. 52–59), pharynx length (81–85 vs. 57–71 μm) and tail length (51–58 vs. 31–59 μm). Also, with a population recorded by Eyualem-Abebe et al. (1998), it differed in body length (vs. 317–403 μm), stoma (18.9–23.6 vs. 19–23 μm), and tail length (vs. 36–67 μm). In comparison with a population from Ethiopia studied by Eyualem-Abebe et al. (1998), it differs in longer body length (vs. 395–480 μm), tail length (vs. 45–71 μm), lower range stoma (14.5 vs. 20 μm), and nerve ring position (71 vs. 40.2 % at neck length). From the Korean population recorded by Kang et al. (2017), it was different in body length (vs. 299.1–482.9 μm), a (15.6–16.9 vs. 17.7–20.6), c’ (vs. 4.3–.4), V (vs. 53.9–59.8), and tail length (vs. 47.3–61.6 μm). From the Indian material examined by Tahseen et al. (2002), it differed in body length range (vs 300–491 μm), stoma length (vs 18–25) and tail length (L = 51–58 μm, c = 8.4–9, c’ = 5–5.2 vs L = 42–65 μm, c = 5.0–8.0, c’ = 5.0–8.0). In comparison with the isolates examined by Abolafia & Peña-Santiago (2007), differences were mainly in body length (vs. 358–504 μm), pharynx length range (vs. 77–99 µm), excretory pore position (80.9–91 vs. 77–92% at neck length), lower range of “a” value (15.6 vs. 14.9), c’ (5 vs. 4.4) and tail length (vs. 54–80 µm). Compared with the Hungarian population reported by Andrássy (2005), it was only different in c’ (vs. 4–5). In comparison with the Japanese population studied by Loof (1964), it differed in body length (vs. 250–400 μm) and c’ (vs. 5.9–8.2) ( Sudhaus, 2011). Also, the isolate differed in body length (vs. 348–394 μm) from a population recorded by Morimoto et al. (2006). This is the first record of this species from Afghanistan.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diploscapter coronatus. A: Neck. B: Anterior end. C: Reproductive system. D: Entire female.