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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Notholetus

Notholetus Ebsary, 1981 (ref. ID; 7199 original paper)

Family Criconematidae (ref. ID; 7199)

ref. ID; 7199

Diagnosis

  • Female: Female body 0.31-0.68 mm. Annules 53-86, 5-9 µm thick at midbody, rounded or retrorse, smooth. Head annules 1 or 2, separated. Pseudolips present. Lip region elevated. Stylet 45-106 µm, rigid. Vulva closed. Tail 6-14 annules, conical rounded, pointed or spicate, with spines, lobes, or deformities. VL/VB 1-1.6. (ref. ID; 7199)
  • Juvenile female (fourth stage): Annules with 17-18 rows of scales at midbody, scales smooth or with refractive elements. (ref. ID; 7199)
  • Male: Lateral incisures 4, bursa large. (ref. ID; 7199)

    Differential diganosis

    Notholetus n. gen. differs from Nothocriconema by having distinct spines, lobes, or deformities on the tail. Notholetus also differs from Merocriconema by having more body annules (53-86 versus 38-43) and a conical pinted or conical spicate tail (round in Merocriconema). (ref. ID; 7199)

    Type species

    Notholetus spicatus (ref. ID; 7199)
    1. Notholetus corbetti (Degrisse, 1967) n. comb. (ref. ID; 7199)
      Syn; Lobocriconema patellifer (Heyns, 1970) Andrassy, 1979 (ref. ID; 7199); Nothocriconema corbetti DeGrisse, 1967 (ref. ID; 7199)
    2. Notholetus spicatus Ebsary, 1981 (ref. ID; 7199 original paper)
    3. Notholetus spinicaudatus (Raski & Pinochet, 1976) n. comb. (ref. ID; 7199)
      Syn; Nothocriconema spinicaudatum Raski & Pinochet, 1976 (ref. ID; 7199)
    4. Notholetus victoriae (Heyns, 1970) n. comb. (ref. ID; 7199)
      Syn; Nothocriconema victoriae Heyns, 1970 (ref. ID; 7199)
    5. Notholetus zeae (Van Den Berg & Heyns, 1977) n. comb. (ref. ID; 7199)
      Syn; Lobocriconema zeae Van Den Berg & Heyns, 1977 (ref. ID; 7199)

    Notholetus spicatus Ebsary, 1981 (ref. ID; 7199 original paper)

    Differential diganosis

    Notholetus spicatus n. sp. is similar to N. spinicaudatus but differs in having two versus one head annule, a longer stylet (104-106 µm versus 70-82 µm), and more spinelike tail ornamentation confined to the post-vulval region (N. spinicaudatus has lobelike ornamentation which extends to about one body width anterior to the vulva). (ref. ID; 7199)

    Descriptions

  • Female: Body tapers slightly anteriorly. Head annules 2, set off, first wider, separated, retrorse, second rounded. Pseudolips strongly developed appearing lobelike in lateral view. Oral disc lower than pseudolips. Stylet rigid about 20% of body length. Stylet knobs 10-11 µm wide, anterior surfaces indented. Body annules 76-80, rounded, about 9 µm thick, margins smooth. Anastomoses absent. Number of annules from head to base of stylet 14-17, to excretory pore 24-26. Vulva 11-14 annules from terminus, closed, anterior lip overlapping. Anus not observed. Tail with conical rounded anterior portion and set off spicate terminus 50% of tail length. VL/VB 1.2-1.4. Anterior portion of tail with spines, not in rows, spicate terminus lacking spines. (ref. ID; 7199)
  • Juveniles: Unknown. (ref. ID; 7199)
  • Males: Unknown. (ref. ID; 7199)

    Type host and locality

    Specimens were intercepted in 1978 by the Plant Protection Division of Agriculture Canada from moss packing about the roots of orchids exported from Henry Ito's Orchid and Garden Shop, Wailuke, Maui, Hawaii. (ref. ID; 7199)

    Type designations

    Holotype female slide No.252 and paratype female slide No.252a are deposited in the Canadian National Collection of Nematodes in Ottawa. (ref. ID; 7199)

    Measurements

  • Holotype (female): L=0.57 mm, a=10.7, b=?, c=8.6, V=88, stylet 104 µm. (ref. ID; 7199)
  • Paratype (one female): L=0.55 mm, a=12.9, b=?, c=10.5, V=90, stylet 106 µm. (ref. ID; 7199)