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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Mermis

Mermis Dujardin, 1842 (ref. ID; 1770)

Family Mermithidae (ref. ID; 1770)

ref. ID; 1770

Diagnosis

Head continuous with body, cephalic papillae four, lip papillae two. Mouth opening terminal, amphids very small. Cuticle with crisscross fibers. Vagina S shaped, vulva flap absent. Eggs small, numerous with polar branching filaments (byssi). Male with two spicules. Tails of both sexes bluntly rounded. (ref. ID; 1770)

Type species

Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842 (ref. ID; 1770)
  1. Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842 (ref. ID; 1770)

Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842 (ref. ID; 1770)

Descriptions

This species is parasitic on terrestrial insects. It is usually a long nematode 5-20 cm in length. The female characters are sufficiently diagnostic to identify this and other species in this genus from other genera of Mermithidae. The terminal mouth has two closely associated lip papillae and four cephalic papillae placed further back. The crisscross fibers are distinct and the lateral chords wide. The thick-walled brownish-colored eggs are small and provided with prominent byssi. (ref. ID; 1770)