Prionchulus jonkershoekensis, van Rensburg & Fourie & Ashrafi & Rashidifard, 2021

van Rensburg, Candice Jansen, Fourie, Hendrika, Ashrafi, Samad & Rashidifard, Milad, 2021, Description of Prionchulus jonkershoekensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Mononchida), a new predatory species from South Africa, Journal of Nematology 53 (1), pp. 1-10 : 2-6

PriOnChUlUS JOnkerShOekenSiS n. sp. ( Figs. 1–3 ; Table 1).

DeSCriptiOn

FeMale: Slender to moderately slender (a= 23–30) nematodes, 1.78–2.14 mm long. Body cylindrical, tapering toward tail terminus. Habitus ventrally curved at posterior end upon fixation, J-shaped. Cuticle moderately thick, with two layers, outer layer thinner than inner layer, with fine transverse striations. Cuticle appears more thickened at vulva and caudal region (2–4 µm). Lateral chord 27–38% of midbody diameter. Body pores obscure. Lip region rounded, offset by weak depression but of similar width with adjacent body, about 3–4 times as wide as high. Lips amalgamated, rounded to angular. Labial papillae slightly more conical and protruding than cephalic papillae.

Amphidial fovea cup-shaped, opening (oval to ellipsoid) at level of anterior denticle above dorsal tooth apex, 3–6µm in diameter and occupying 1/5–1/6 of lip region width. Stoma consists of a vestibulum and a buccal cavity 1.4–1.7 times as long as wide, with 2–4 µm thick walls and tapering at its base, funnel shaped. Dorsal tooth of medium size situated in lower anterior half of buccal cavity, its apex sharply pointed, located 30–34 µm or 75–81% of the buccal cavity length from its base, its upper edge slightly curved, directed forward. Subventral denticles present, 11–14 in number, relatively large, orientated anteriorly, separated, arranged irregularly in some specimens. Two small foramina observed. Pharynx muscular, cylindrical, about 8–10 times as long as wide, surrounding basal part of stoma. Pharyngeal gland nuclei and outlets indistinct. Nerve ring located at 29–33% of the neck length. Secretory-excretory pore visible, situated 30–38% of the neck length. Cardia oval to rounded, smooth, 0.3–0.5 times as long as wide, 0.2 times as long as body diameter at neck base, non-tuberculate. Intestine uniformly granulated; inner surface lined by short rod-like structures (bacillary layer).

Genital system didelphic-amphidelphic. Genital branches almost symmetrical; anterior branch 300– 390 µm and posterior branch 252–362µm long. Ovaries reflexed, well developed, similar; anterior ovary 124–218µm and posterior ovary 124–186 µm long; not reaching oviduct-uterus junction. Oviduct with well-marked parS dilatata, 40–62 µm in width. Uterus and oviduct separated by a moderate sphincter constriction. Uterus thick-walled, bipartite, 0.5–1.0 times as long as body diameter. Sperm absent. Vagina extending over 33–47% of body diameter. ParS diStaliS Vaginae short 4–6µm long with rounded walls. ParS refringenS Vaginae with well-developed teardrop-shaped sclerotized pieces, with combined width of 10–14 µm, extent along the lumen of 6–8µm. ParS prOXiMaliS Vaginae 14–22µm long, longer than wide, with almost straight contours proximally but curved outwards distally, surrounded by circular muscles. Vulva slit transverse, with lips slightly protruding. Eggs ovoid, smooth egg shell. Rectum 36–48 µm long, mostly shorter than anal body diameter. Three unicellular rectum glands present.

Tail conical, 144–158µm long, bent ventrally, distal 1/3 more curved ventrad, sickle shaped, tapering to finely pointed terminus. Hyaline portion 7µm long, 5% of tail length. Caudal glands absent. Three pairs of caudal pores present.

MaleS: Not found.

Type lOCality and Habitat

The type material was collected from leaf litter and moss near the First Waterfall hiking trail in the Jonkershoek mountains, Stellenbosch, South Africa (coordinates 33°59 ʹ 54.9 ʺ S, 18˚58 ʹ 59.7 ʺ E).

Type material

Holotype female (slide 51180), and one female and three juvenile paratypes (slide 51181) deposited in the National Collection of Nematodes ( NCN), Agricultural Research Council-Plant Health and Protection ( ARC- PHP), Pretoria, South Africa; 23 female paratypes deposited in the nematode collection of the University of the Free State ( UFS), Bloemfontein , South Africa.

Figures

Figure 1: Line drawings of PriOnChUlUS JOnkerShOekenSiS n. sp. female. (A) Head region in lateral view; (B) Entire body; (C) Neck region; (D) Pharyngo-intestinal junction (cardia); (E) Anterior genital branch with egg; (F) Posterior genital branch; (G) Rectal region and tail. (Scale bars: A, D =20µm; B, C=100 µm; E, G=50µm; F= 10µm).

Figure 2: Light micrographs of PriOnChUlUS JOnkerShOekenSiS n. sp. female. (A-B) Anterior region in lateral median view; (C) Neck region; (D) Entire body; (E) Pharyno-intestinal junction; (F) Laterial lip region showing amphidial fovea and cuticle striations; (G-H) Vagina; (I) Caudal region.

Figure 3: Scanning electron micrographs of PriOnChUlUS JOnkerShOekenSiS n. sp. female. (A) Lip region (Frontal view); (B) Lateral view showing labial and cephalic papillae and amphidial fovea; (C) Tail; (D) Vulva (ventral view). (L.p- Labial papillae, C.p- Cephalic papillae, Am- Amphidial fovea).