Photo Gallery- Haughton Crater |
Taxonomic notes: (annotated from Geraert and Raksi, 1988). This
species has been studied several times (cf. Andrassy,1980). They compare
measurements from European, Ukrainian, Belgian and English populations.
The comparisons of all these measurements show that the European, Belgian
and English populations generally agree, but the Ukrainian populations
vary in a number of respects and they suggest that Sigareva and Krasnopolskij
(1974) were examining a different species. Andrassy's 1980 description
applies to A. agricola with the following exceptions:
-There is usually one inner line in the lateral
field but that line is weakly expressed.
-The head
width can be as small as 5.5um (height 2.5-3um).
-The amphidial shape differs in the male and female.
In the female from Winches Farm, England the oval labial plate shows two
cresent-like amphidial apertures. In the male from the same locality the
apertures are laterally elongated.
-The two stylet
parts are not completely equal, the anterior part occupying 41-46% of the
total stylet length.
-The spermatheca can be as small as 9um. Andrassy
(1980) reported a maximum of 18um, Geraert and Raski report a maximum of
17um.
-The
tail length reported by Andrassy (1980) (134-190um) included the Californian
population with a very long tail. A similar long-tailed population has
been described as A. muktii.
-Males are less common. In Belgian populations there
are generally about twice as many females as males.
-The buras in males can be as long as 40um. Andrassy
reported 28-33um.
-The male tail can be as long as 169um. Andrassy
reported 140-155um.
-the outgrowth of the cloacal lip forming a protruding
tube has not been described by Andrassy, but is more or less present in
his drawings.
Biotic notes: According to Geraert, 1991 Aglenchus agricola is cosmopolitan. Very common and widespread in Europe, it feeds on grasses and clover (Bongers, 1988); it is not only found in arable soil and meadows but in all kinds of noncultivated soils, in mountainous regions, and even in freshwater. It occured in 60 of 85 samples from arable soil in the neighborhood of Ghent.
DNA Sequences Obtained
Specimen: | Collected: |
KonzaI BD-25 | Konza Prairie, First survey |
KonzaVII EE-88 | Konza Prairie, First survey |