Description of Pristionchus stercoraris sp. n. and first report of Tylopharynx foetida from India (Nematoda: Diplogastrina)

Abstract

Pristionchus stercoraris sp. n. and Tylopharynx foetida (Butschli, 1874) Goffart, 1930 of the suborder Diplogastrina are described and illustrated in detail. Both the species were isolated from farmyard manure collected from Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir, India. P. stercoraris sp. n. is characterized by faint annulations on cuticle, steno– as well as eurystomatous types of stoma, thin-walled cheilostom, long elongate cardia, slender spicules with slightly anteriorly curved distal tip, a boat-shaped gubernaculum with a medial dorsal convex; proximally with an anteriorly directed needle-like extension and distally with a sleeve and eight pairs of genital papillae. Measurements and descriptions of our specimens of T. foetida agree well with that of Butschli (1874). However, slight differences were observed in the length of stoma, tail, anal body diameter, anterior pharynx, and in the position of excretory pore. No species of both Pristionchus and Tylopharynx have so far been reported from India.