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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Nothocriconema

Nothocriconema DeGrisse & Loof, 1975 (ref. ID; 5958)

Family Criconematidae (ref. ID; 5934, 5935)

ref. ID; 5958

Diagnosis (emended)

Female body 0.30-0.77 mm. Annules 50-89, 8-12 µm thick, smooth, rounded. Head annules two, set off, first wider than second, separated. Lip region elevated, round, pseudolips present. Stylet 64-120 µm, rigid. Vulva closed, anterior lip overlapping. Tail 8-15 annules, conical pointed. VL/VB=1.5(1.1-2). (ref. ID; 5958)
  • Juveniles (male and female fourth stage): Annules with 8-12 rows of spine-tipped scales. Stylet present. (ref. ID; 5958)
  • Male: Lateral incisures three or four, bursa small. (ref. ID; 5958)

    Type species

    Nothocriconema annuliferum (De Man, 1921) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5958)
    1. Nothocriconema acriculum Raski & Pinochet, 1976
      See; Nothocriconemella acricula (ref. ID; 5958)
    2. Nothocriconema alticolum Ivanova, 1976
      See; Criconemella alticola (ref. ID; 5832)
    3. Nothocriconema annuliferum (De Man, 1921) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5958)
    4. Nothocriconema arcanum (Raski & Golden, 1966) DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Nothocriconemella pacifica (ref. ID; 5958)
    5. Nothocriconema calvum (Raski & Golden, 1966) DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Nothocriconemella calva (ref. ID; 5958)
    6. Nothocriconema coorgi Khan & Nanjappa, 1972
      See; Nothocriconemella coorgi (ref. ID; 5958)
    7. Nothocriconema corbetti DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Notholetus corbetti (ref. ID; 7199)
    8. Nothocriconema crotaloides (Cobb, 1924) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5958)
    9. Nothocriconema degrissei Baqri, 1979
      See; Nothocriconemella degrissei (ref. ID; 5958)
    10. Nothocriconema demani (Micoletzky, 1925) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965
      See; Nothocriconemella demani (ref. ID; 5958)
    11. Nothocriconema dubium DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Paracriconema dubium (ref. ID; 5958)
    12. Nothocriconema duplicivestitum (Andrassy, 1963) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965
      See; Paracriconema duplicivestitum (ref. ID; 5958)
    13. Nothocriconema grassator (Adams & Lapp, 1967) DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Nothocriconemella grassator (ref. ID; 5958)
    14. Nothocriconema jaejuense Choi & Geraert, 1975 (ref. ID; 5958)
    15. Nothocriconema kovacsi (Andrassy, 1963) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965
      See; Nothocriconemella kovacsi (ref. ID; 5958)
    16. Nothocriconema lamellatum (Raski & Golden, 1966) DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Paracriconema lamellatum (ref. ID; 5958)
    17. Nothocriconema loofi DeGrisse, 1967 (ref. ID; 5958)
    18. Nothocriconema longulum (Gunhold, 1953) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965
      See; Nothocriconemella longula (ref. ID; 5958)
    19. Nothocriconema macilentum Raski & Pinochet, 1976
      See; Nothocriconemella macilenta (ref. ID; 5958)
    20. Nothocriconema montanus Razzhivin, 1974
      See; Criconemella zavadskii (ref. ID; 5832)
    21. Nothocriconema mutabile (Taylor, 1936) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5838)
      See; Nothocriconemella mutabilis (ref. ID; 5958)
      Syn; Criconemoides kashmirensis Mahajan & Bijral, 1973 (ref. ID; 5838)
    22. Nothocriconema orientale Andrassy, 1970
      See; Nothocriconemella orientalis (ref. ID; 5958)
    23. Nothocriconema pacificum (Andrassy, 1965) Andrassy, 1967 (ref. ID; 5958)
      See; Nothocriconemella pacifica (Andrassy, 1965) n. comb. (ref. ID; 5958)
    24. Nothocriconema paraguayense Andrassy, 1968
      See; Nothocriconemella paraguayensis (ref. ID; 5958)
    25. Nothocriconema pasticum Raski & Pinochet, 1976
      See; Nothocriconemella pastica (ref. ID; 5958)
    26. Nothocriconema permistum (Raski & Golden, 1966) DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Nothocriconemella permista (ref. ID; 5958)
    27. Nothocriconema petasum (Wu, 1965) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5935) or (Wu, 1965) DeGrisse & Loof, 1967 (ref. ID; 5958)
      Syn; Criconemoides petasus Wu, 1965 (ref. ID; 5935)
    28. Nothocriconema princeps (Andrassy, 1962) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5958)
    29. Nothocriconema psammophilum Krnjaic & Loof, 1973
      See; Nothocriconemella psammophila (ref. ID; 5958)
    30. Nothocriconema sanctus-francisci Van den Berg & Heyns, 1977 (ref. ID; 5958)
    31. Nothocriconema solitarium DeGrisse, 1967
      See; Paracriconema solitarium (ref. ID; 5958)
    32. Nothocriconema sphagni (Micoletzky, 1925) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5934)
      See; Nothocriconemella sphagni (ref. ID; 5958)
    33. Nothocriconema spinicaudatum Raski & Pinochet, 1976
      See; Notholetus spinicaudatus (ref. ID; 7199)
    34. Nothocriconema vallicolum Ivanova, 1976
      See; Criconemella vallicola (ref. ID; 5832)
    35. Nothocriconema victoriae Heyns, 1970
      See; Notholetus victoriae (ref. ID; 7199)

    Nothocriconema mutabile (Taylor, 1936) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5838)

    See

    Nothocriconemella mutabilis (ref. ID; 5958)

    Synonym

    Criconemoides kashmirensis Mahajan & Bijral, 1973 (ref. ID; 5838)

    Notes

    Criconemoides kashmirensis was considered distinct from N. mutabile because of two head annules (supposedly one in N. mutabile). Raski and Golden (1966) and DeGrisse (1969) demonstrated that N. mutabile usually has two head annules, occasionally one. The diagnostic measurements of stylet lengths (46-51 vs. 44-70 µm), number of annules (110-121 vs. 85-123), and vulval position (9-11 vs. 6-15) and others overlap with N. mutabile and C. kashmirensis is synonymized as indicated. (ref. ID; 5838)

    Nothocriconema petasum (Wu, 1965) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5935) or (Wu, 1965) DeGrisse & Loof, 1967 (ref. ID; 5958)

    Synonym

    Criconemoides petasus Wu, 1965 (ref. ID; 5935)

    Descriptions

  • Female: Head of two annules, distinctly set off from body. Diameter of first head annule 24(21-26) µm, rim, saucer shaped. Second head annule 20(18-23) µm, rounded, separated from first annule by 2-3 µm. En face shows six pseudolips, laterals larger than submedians. Amphids slitlike at base of lateral pseuodlips. Oral aperture oval. Stylet rigid, not flexible, extending through seven to nine body annules. Stylet prorhabdion 56(50-60) µm long, shaft 17(12-20) µm. Stylet knobs robust, 16(14-17) µm in diameter, anterior surfaces indented. Esophagus 108-130 µm long occupying 12(11-13) annules, including head. Excretory pore located on annules 14-16. Total annules 52(50-53), rounded or slightly retrorse. Annules 5-8 µm thick, widely separated near midbody by 12-14 µm. Annule interspaces filled with accumulations of foreign debris. Anterior-most body annule much narrower than succeeding annules and provided with caudad-directed notch. Body annules, excluding anterior of four to seven and posterior four, with cephalad-directed lateral notches. Vulva closed, located 10-12 annules from tail terminus. Anterior vulval lip well developed, overlapping entire posterior vulval lip. Anus conspicuous at base of tail annules three to five. Terminal end of ovary extends from posterior of basal bulb to anterior of stylet knobs. Two specimens had the terminal end reflexed. Germ cells of anterior ovary in two rows. Spermatheca large, filled with sperm about 1 µm in diameter. The topotypes have wider stylet knobs than the holotype (14-17 vs. 12.5 µm), a more posterior excretory pore (on annules 14-16 vs. 13), and two head annules rather than one as described by Wu (1965). The types agree in other characters and dimensions. (ref. ID; 5935)
  • Molting Fourth-stage Juvenile Female: First and second head annules 14 and 16 µm wide, respectively. Prorhabdion of fourth-stage juvenile, 42 µm long between molting juvenile and adult female cuticles. Length of adult female stylet 74 µm. Juvenile cuticle with 12 longitudinal rows of scales, each bearing three to five small spines. Tail shape similar to adult female. Body scales with marginal spines indicate that the juvenile of N. petasum is closely related to N. annuliferum and N. princeps, which share this feature. All other species of Nothocriconema have scales with smooth margins or fine refractive elements. (ref. ID; 5935)
  • Male: Head continuous with body contour, cephalic framework moderately developed. Lip region broadly rounded, oral aperture visible. Head consists of five uniform annules, each about 1 µm wide. Body annules progressively increase to maximum width of 5 µm at midbody. Lateral field about 4 µm wide at midbody, with for incisures. Total body annules 114. Excretory pore 35 annules from head. Stylet absent. Esophagus degenerate, consisting of a faintly visible, spindle-shaped median bulb. Testis outstretched, terminating 171 µm from head. Vas deferens sperm filled. Sperm small, 1 µm in diameter. Spicules slender, slightly arcuate, proximal end cephalated, 4.5 µm wide. Spicule shaft width near proximal end, 2 µm. Gubernaculum rodlike. Bursa rudimentary. Tail of 16 annules, 53 µm long, conoid tapering to finely rounded, dorsally reflected tip. The identification of the male of N. petasum was based on its presence in the same population from which the holotype was selected and its distinctiveness from males of other species present. Bakernema inaequale, Criconema octangulare, and Crossonema menzeli occur with the type host and locality of N. petasum. The male of N. petasum is most closely related to B. inaequale but differs in having a narrower and longer (53 vs. 32-42 µm) tail, with a more finely rounded terminus, a markedly larger manubrium, and a narrower, more rudimentary bursa. The males of C. octangulare and C. menzeli have three incisures and five or six minute annules on the tail terminus, whereas there are four incisures in the male of N. petasum and its tail terminus is smooth. (ref. ID; 5935)

    Type host and locality

    Soil about the roots of beech (Fagus grandifolia) at Osgoode, Ontario. (ref. ID; 5935)

    Topotype designations

  • 10 females, 1 juvenile female collected June 24, 1977. Slides numbered 7059 A-L deposited as follows: six females, one juvenile, and one en face section in the CNCN, Ottawa; one female each at USDA Nematode Collection (Beltsville, Maryland), UCNSC (Davis, California), PD (Wageningen, The Netherlands), and R.U.G. (Gent, Belgium). (ref. ID; 5935)
  • Male specimens: Collected with holotype, May 23, 1962, slide No.2859 deposited in the CNCN, Ottawa. (ref. ID; 5935)

    Measurements

  • Topotypes (10 females): L=0.63(0.54-0.75) mm, a=10.3(9-12), b=5.1(4.4-6), c=25.2(15.9-34.7), V=84(82-85), stylet 73(64-80); egg (one female) 66x25 µm. (ref. ID; 5935)
  • Male (one specimens): L=0.44 mm, a=20, b=5.4, c=8.4, spicules 37 µm, gubernaculum 7 µm. (ref. ID; 5935)

    Nothocriconema sphagni (Micoletzky, 1925) DeGrisse & Loof, 1965 (ref. ID; 5934)

    See

    Nothocriconemella sphagni (ref. ID; 5958)

    Descriptions

  • Female (ten specimens): L=0.39(0.35-0.41) mm, a=10.8(10-12), b=2.8(2-3), V=86(84-88), stylet 114(106-120) µm, R=94(90-97), RV=15(13-16). Head with six prominent lips. First and second head annules 11 (10-12) and 13-14 µm wide respectively. Stylet long and flexible. Body annules smooth. Tail sharply conical with a knoblike terminus. Vulva closed, anterior lip in ventral view with two slight rounded expansions similar to that detailed by DeGrisse (1969). Spermatheca prominent, with sperm 2 µm in diameter. The description of the adult female agrees with the descriptions of Micoletzky (1925) and Raski & Riffle (1967). (ref. ID; 5934)
  • Male (ten specimens): L=0.37(0.30-0.51) mm, a=20.5(17-24), c=11(9-12), T=33(26-37) µm. Head continuous with body contour, broadly rounded, bearing a labial annule to 2 µm wide and four to five postlabial annules. Annulation increasing posteriorly to 4(3-6) µm wide at midbody. Cephalic framework well developed. Lateral field 3 µm wide with three incisures. Stylet absent. Esophagnus degenerate, consisting of a reduced procorpus and spindle-shaped median bulb and isthmus. Excretory pore located 99(85-114) µm from the head. Testis outstretched extending anteriorly to 181(168-196) µm from Head. Germ cells of anterior testis in two rows. Vas deferens well developed containing sperm 2 µm in diameter. Spicules slender slightly curved, 33(31-35) µm long. Gubernaculum 5-6 µm long rodlike in lateral view. Tail constricted posteriorly to the cloacal opening, dorsally reflected at tip. Bursa weakly developed, projecting slightly beyond body outline. Last four to seven annules anterior tail terminus irregular. Terminus abruptly narrowing, mucronate with two to three minute annules in 64% of the specimens, attenuated with regular annules in 36%. Canadian N. sphagni males have shorter spicules than the topotypes described by Raski and Pinochet (1976) (31-35 µm vs. 40-42 µm; their diagrams indicate spicules of 36-38 µm), and a mucronate tail terminus of two to three annules in 32 of 50 specimens, while the topotypes are described as having a terminus tapering to an acute tip. The Canadian specimens agree in other dimensions to those described by Raski & Pinochet (1976). One male specimen from Belgium in the Canadian National Collection of Nematodes donated and identified by A. DeGrisse as N. sphagni was also examined. This specimen had spicules 35 µm long, which is similar to the Canadian material, while the terminus was similar to that described by Raski & Pinochet (1976). Other measurements were similar to that described above for the Canadian males. (ref. ID; 5934)
  • Juvenile Male: First and second head annules 8 to 10 µm wide respectively. Lips faintly visible. Prorhabdion 56 µm long, visible between the molting juvenile and adult male cuticle. Juvenile cuticle with 12 longitudinal rows of scales, margins smooth. Tail terminus a triangular-shaped lobe. The juvenile male agrees closely with those described by Raski and Pinochet (1976), but has a shorter prorhabdion (56 µm vs. 63-65 µm) and lacks refractive elements on the scale edges. (ref. ID; 5934)