Mesomermis devii sp. nov. (Nematoda: Mermithidae), a new species of nematode from Devi Cave in Georgia

Adult female individuals of the nematodeMesomermis deviisp. nov.(Nematoda: Mermithidae) have been described. The hostorganism is not determined. The individuals were isolated from moist guano obtained in the dark zone of Devi Cave (West Georgia).The new species is characterized by the following: rounded and symmetrical apical end of the head; mouth aperture is located in themiddle of the head terminus; 6 cephalic papillae are arranged in a single row; each papilla is equipped with 2 or 3 sensilla; stoma hasuneven width and the pharyngeal tube is of even width along the whole length; small amphids, with large, slightly oval, roundish holesand large, rounded pouches; pear-shaped vagina. Additionally, the radial holes emerging from the gland situated in the cuticle of theterminal part of the tail differentiate it from the species of the genusMesomermis . This is the second record of this genus in Georgia.A list of species in the genusMesomermisdistributed in the Palearctic and brief morphological descriptions indicating their hosts anddistribution details are provided.

PDF

___

Baermann G (1917). Eine einfache Methode zur Auffindung von Anklyostomum (Nematoden) Larven in Erdproben. Geneesk Tijdschr Nederlandsch-Indie 57: 131-137 (in German).
Camino NB (1994). Mesomermis ornatissima n. sp. (Nematoda: mermitidae): a parasite of Simulium bonaerense coscarron et Wygodzinsky (Diptera: Simulidae) in Argentina. Res Rev Parasitol 54: 29-31.
Camino NB, González SE, Reboredo GR (2015). Biodiversity of mermitids (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitoids of aquatic diptera (Simuliidae, Culicidae and Chironomidae) in Argentina. Neotrop Helminthol 9: 65-71.
Poinar GO (1971). Use of nematodes for microbial control of insects. In: Burges HD, Hussey NW, editors. Microbial Control of Insects and Mites. New York, NY, USA: Academic Press, pp. 181-203.
Poinar GO (1975). Entomogenous Nematodes: Manual and Host List of InsectNematode Associations. Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill.
Rubzov IA (1966). Mermithids (Family Mermithidae) parasitizing on the black flies (Family Simulidae). New species from the genus Mesomermis Dad. In: Cerepanov AI, editor. New Species in the Fauna of Siberia and Adjacent Regions. Novosibirsk, USSR: Nauka, pp. 124-127 (in Russian).
Rubzov IA (1972). Aquatic Mermithidae. Vol. 1. Leningrad, USSR: Nauka (in Russian).
Rubzov IA (1978). Mermithids. Priroda 12: 35-37 (in Russian). Seinhorst JW (1959). A rapid method for transfer of nematodes from fixative to anhydrous glycerine. Nematologica 4: 67-69.
Tatashidze ZK, Tsikarishvili KD, Jishkariani JM (2009). The Cadastre of the Karst Caves of Georgia. Tbilisi, Georgia: Petiti Publishing House (in Georgian).
Vega FE, Kaya HK (2012). Insect Pathology. San Diego, CA, USA: Academic Press.
Welch HE, Rubzov IA (1965). Mermithids (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitic in blackflies (Insecta: Simuliidae). I. Taxonomy and bionomics of Gastromermis boophthorae sp. n. Can Entomol 97: 581-596.
Wise VM (2006). Parasitoid-induced behavioral alterations of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae infected with mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae). J Vect Ecol 31: 344-354.
Wise VM (2007). Predator avoidance behavior of Aedesa egypti mosquito larvae infected with mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae). J Vect Ecol 32: 150-153.