First record of occurrence of the genus Oesophagomermis Artyukhovsky 1969 (Nematoda: Mermithidae), a terrestrial mermithid from Iran, with an updated identification key for its species

Document Type : Paper, English

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 CIC Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores, CEPAVE, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, Argentine

10.61186/jesi.45.4.5

Abstract

During a survey conducted to study mermithids fauna in the rangelands of Jolfa County in East Azarbaijan province of Iran, a population belonging to the genus Oesophagomermis was recovered. The specimen is characterized by its 8.60-11.60 mm long body, six cephalic papillae; no lip papillae; absence of cuticular recess at the frontal end; cuticle with very fine cross fibers; oral opening central and terminal; head rounded and 30-36 μm broad; amphidial fovea pocket-shaped; six hypodermal cords at mid-body; pharynx long, passes through the entire body, almost reaching near the trophosome end; female reproductive system didelphic-amphidelphic; vulva oblique, at 54-57% of body length; vagina S-shaped, 75-135 μm long, twisted in one plane, posterior loop is smaller in length than anterior loop; young female tail conical with the appendage of the previous molt stage; postparasitic juveniles with tail appendage, conoid and long. The newly collected population from Iran was compared with four previously known species of the genus, the Iranian population could mainly be separated based on presence of a long and conoid appendage in tail tip of post-parasitic juvenile. However, due to the lack of adult females and males as well, it was not identified up to the species level and therefore the population is considered as Oesophagomermis sp.

Graphical Abstract

First record of occurrence of the genus Oesophagomermis Artyukhovsky 1969 (Nematoda: Mermithidae), a terrestrial mermithid from Iran, with an updated identification key for its species

Keywords

Main Subjects

© 2025 by Author(s), Published by the Entomological Society of Iran

This Work is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International Public License

References

Artyukhovsky, A. K. (1969) Novye rody semeistva Mermithidae. (Enoplida: Nematoda). [New genera of Mermithidae (Enoplida: Nematoda)]. Zoologischeski Zhurnal, 1309-1319.
Artyukhovsky, A. K. & Khartschenko N. A. (1969) [On the knowledge of mermithids (Mermithidae, nematodes) from the Streletskoi Stepps]. Trudy Tsentraljno-Chernozemnoi Zapovednol, 9, 159-185.
Braun, M. (1883) Die thierisher Parasiten des Menchen nebst einer Anleitung zur praktischen Beschaeftigung mit der Helminthologie fuer Stadierende und Aertze. Anon, Wurzburg. 233 p.
Brown, D. J. F. & Boag, B. (1988) An examination of methods used to extract virus-vector nematodes (Nematoda: Longidoridae and Trichodoridae) from soil samples. Nematologia Mediterranea, 16, 93-99.
Coman, D. (1953) Mermithid freatice in fauna Republicii Populare Romane. Academia Republicii
Populare Romine, 4, 123-152.
Coman D. (1961) Mermithidae – Fauna Republicii Populaire Romine. Vol. 2. 61 pp.  Academia Republicii
Populare Romine.
De Grisse, A. T. (1969) Redescriptionou modification de quelques techniques utilisées danslétude des nematodes phytoparasitaires. Mededelingen Rijksfaculteit Landbouwwetenschappen, Gent, 34, 351-369.
Hagmeier, A. (1912) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Mermithiden. Zoologische Jahrbücher Abteilung für Systematik, 32, 521-612.
Hodda, M. (2022) Phylum Nematoda: a classification, catalogue and index of valid genera, with a census of valid species. Zootaxa, 5114(1), 001-289. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5114.1.1
Holovachov, O & P. DeLey. (2006) Order Mermithida and families incertae sedis (Bastianiidae and Rhabdolaimidae). pp. 722-735. In Eyualem Abebe, Traunspurger W., and Andrassy I. (Eds) Freshwater nematodes: Ecology and taxonomy. 752 pp. CABI Publishing.
Martinet, J. P., Aatif, I. & Depaquit, J. (2023) Three Aedes species infested by mermithids in France. Trois espèces d’Aedes parasitées par des mermithidés en France. Parasite (Paris, France), 30, 12. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2023013
Pologenzev, P. A. & Artyukhovsky, A. K. (1958) New species of Mermithids, Zoologischeski Zhurnal, 37(7), 997-1005.
Rubtsov I. A. (1972). Aquatic Mermithidae. Vol. 1. 254 pp. Nauka, Leningrad, Izdatel'stvo. (In Russian).
Rubtsov, I. A. (1978) Mermithids: classification, importance, utilization. 280 pp. Nauka, Leningrad branch. [In Russian].
 
Send comment about this article
CAPTCHA Image
Journal of Entomological Society of Iran
Volume 45, Issue 4
October 2025
Pages 531-538

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics