Redescription of an insect-associated nematode, Reiterina typica (Stefański, 1922) Sudhaus, 2011 (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae) found in scarab grubs in Hungary

Abstract

Three out of four currently accepted species of the genus Reiterina (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae) were described in the early 20th century. The type species of this genus, R. typica (Stefański, 1922) Sudhaus, 2011, has several synonyms, with differences in their individual species descriptions, which necessitates its detailed redescription. A population of this species was isolated from scarab beetles in Hungary and is characterised as follows: body 970 ± 123 μm long in males and 1221 ± 188 μm long in females, V% = 50.1-57.7, female tail conoid (94.5 μm, c = 13, c′ = 3.3), male tail conoid (36 μm, c = 27, c′ = 1.5) with anteriorly opened peloderan bursa supported by nine pairs of genital papillae (1 + 2 + 3 + 3), papillae 4 and 9 open on the dorsal side, and papillae 3 and 8 reaching the edge of the velum, spicules 28-47 μm long. Newly sequenced 18S rDNA genes place Reiterina typica in a clade with other published Reiterina typica sequence and with sequences from the genus Rhabditis.