Belondira clava
Thorne, 1957
Photo Gallery- Konza Prairie

1.1 mm; a=30; b=5.3; c=66; V=35.15

    Body straight when relaxed by hot fixative.  Anteriorly the neck tapers uniformly to the bluntly conoid lip region which is not set off in any manner.  Lateral cords about one-fourth body width.  Lip region completely amalgamated, the papillae obscure and not modifying its rounded contour which, at the level of the amphid apertures, is about one-fifth as wide as the neck base.  From a lateral view the amphid apertures appear as obscure, arcuate lines.  Dorsoventrally the amphids appear as deep pockets extending backward to a point opposite the base of the spear.  The short dorylaimoid spear rests on well developed extensions.  Guiding ring obscure, muscular.  The esophagus is at first a slender colorless tube without visible musculature but slightly behind the middle it gradually expands to form the enlarged portion which is of a pecular glandular appearance.  Instead of the usual muscular structure this portion of the esophagus appear to be made up of six parallel columns of glandular cells.  The nucleus of the dorsal gland is fairly prominent but not comparable to that of Axonchium or the two other species of Belondira.  Basal portion of esophagus surrounded by a sheath-like membrane which is, at least partially, made up of spiral muscles.  Cardia elongate-conoid, extending well into the thin walled anterior portion of the intestine.  Intestinal cells containing only a few, small, scattered granules.  Vulva a deep transverse slit.  Vagina extending two-thirds across the body, subspherical in contour and inclined posteriad.  Anterior female sexual branch consisting of a small pouch shorter than the body width; posterior branch normal, the ovary reflexed two-thirds the distance back to vulva.  Posteriorly the body is slightly clavate.  Cuticle of the tail with unusually thick layers, the subcuticle radially striated.  Male unknown and sperms not present in the females examined.
    Diagnosis: Belondira with the above measurements and general description.  Differentiated from B. ortha and B. apitica by the weak development of the esophagus.  From B. caudata it is readily distinguished by the slightly clavate posterior portion of the body and the hemispheroid tail.
    Habitat: Three females from soil collected by Dr. C.M. Tompkins about roots of rubber trees, Dolok Merangir, East Central Sumatra.