Department of Entomology Applied Nematology, Ecology and Acoustical Signatures

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ORDER CHROMADORIDA
            Family Cyatholaimidae
                        Genus Achromadora

Genus  Achromadora
Achromadora Cobb, 1913

"Diagnosis: Achromomadorinae. Cuticle with fine transverse striae, ornamented with rows of fine dots. Amphideal fovea multispiral, rarely unspiral located from level anterior part of stoma to slightly posterior of stoma. Head continuous with body, rounded, with six poorly developed lips, each with an apical papilla; six outer labial setae and four cephalic setae usually in a single row of ten setae but may also occur in two seperate circlets with the outer labial sensilla of the second circlet papilliform. Stoma funnel-shaped with distinct dorsal tooth anterior to midway in cavity and one or two small ventrosublateral teeth posteriorly. Pharynx cylindrical enlarged posteriorly to a pseudobulb. Intestine with short (as long as anal body width) to long rectum. Female didelphic--amphidelphic, ovaries flexed. Tail conoid, tapering to a bluntly rounded terminus; caudal glands and terminal spinneret present. Male rare, diorchic. Precloacal supplements usually absent or small cup-shap when present.

The only genus within the family with real terrestrial species. Nine out of 16 valid species of the genus are terresrial but four occur in freshwater habitats; the other seven are specie limnetic with two species recorded from thermal waters." Decraemer and Smol 2006

Definition: Cyatholaiminae.” Very close to Cyatholaimus. Cuticle with transverse striae bearing rows of punctations. Amphids spiral, situated just behind level of base of stoma. Head not offset, rather rounded in front, with 6 indistinct lips each with a small apical papilla. At base of lips a circlet of 10 cephalic setae,2 lateral, 4 subdorsal and 4 subventral. Stoma rather funnel-shaped, with a prominent dorsal tooth medially placed and 1 or 2 smaller subventral teeth situated futher back. Oesophagus cylindrical for the most part but slightly swollen and rounded terminally forming a pseudo-bulb. Tail tapering to end, caudal glands and terminal duct present. Vulva equatorial; gonads paired, opposed, reflexed. The male of A. granulata (Cobb) with paired spicules and a large gubernaculum about 2/3 as long as spicules and bearing large lateral expansions.” From Goodey 1963 and Powers and Mullin website http://nematode.unl.edu/

References:

Decraemer W. and N. Smol.  Orders Chromadorida, Desmodorida and Desmocolecida. 2006.  In: Eyualem Abebe, Traunspurger W., and Andrassy I. (eds) Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy. CABI Publishing, Cambridge, MA, pp. 497-573. 

Goodey T. and J.B. Goodey. 1963. Soil and Freshwater Nematodes.  Butler and Tanner Ltd, London, Great Britain

Powers T. and P. Mullin. Plant and Insect Parasitic Nematodes. University of Nebraska Nematology Website. http://nematode.unl.edu/