Scanning electron microscopy and intraspecific variation of Chordodes festae Camerano, 1897 and C. peraccae (Camerano, 1894) (Nematomorpha: Gordioidea)

Abstract

The nematomorph species Chordodes festae Camerano, 1897 and C. peraccae (Camerano, 1894) are redescribed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). C. festae has a cuticle with four different areolar types, the crown areoles being the most noticeable with long spiniform processes. The terminal end in the male specimen has two short lobe-like structures and a ventral groove. C. peraccae has three areolar types in which, as in C. festae, some areoles form groups surrounding the crown areoles. Intraspecific variations were found in body length and body colour in both species and, in C. peraccae, also in the cuticle.

A new horsehair worm, Chordodes formosanus sp. n. (Nematomorpha, Gordiida) from Hierodula mantids of Taiwan and Japan with redescription of a closely related species, Chordodes japonensis

“…It is rational that the anterior and posterior ends of horsehair worms with the complex ornamentations play important roles in exploration and mating. Therefore, the smooth anterior ends in some descriptions (e.g., de Villalobos and Zanca 2001) and some of our samples may have been caused by damage from the environment. In addition to the damage, some samples were found to have been covered by residual juvenile skins, indicating that the worms had just molted.…”

Cryptic species of hairworm parasites revealed by molecular data and crowdsourcing of specimen collections

“…1B), and finger-or knob-like projections termed bristles and spines. However, these cuticle structures have been known to vary greatly intraspecifically (de Villalobos and Zanca, 2001;Schmidt-Rhaesa, 2010) or be absent altogether, making morphologically-based taxonomy more difficult in certain groups.…”

Morphological and molecular characterization of Gordius, a horse hairworm recovered from cricket

“…Hairworms possess some morphological traits by which specimens are separated. One of the most useful characters is the cuticular structures which vary greatly interspecifically and intraspecifically [8,9].…”