Belondira apitica
Thorne, 1957

    Cuticle marked by easily visible transverse striae.  Radial striae are especially prominent on the tail.  Neck tapering uniformly to the bluntly conoid lip region which is about one-fifth as wide as the neck base.  Cephalic papillae low, obscure, not projecting above the contour of the head.  Amphids stirrupform, almost as wide as head, their apertures as obscure lines.  Sensillae pouches lying at a point just opposite the base of spear extensions.  Spear a little shorter than the lip region width, slightly arcuate in contour, its aperture occupying one-fourth of its length.  Esophagus beginning as a slender tube with an elongated slightly spindle-shaped swelling anterior to the nerve ring.  The posterior three-fifths are enlarged by a gradual expansion and possess a muscular sheath and a prominent dorsal gland.  Intestinal cells packed with fine brown granules.  Vulva a depressed transverse slit.  Vagina subspherical, refractive, usually inclined slightly posteriad.  Posterior female sexual branch normal, the anterior consisting of a spacious pouch which serves as a spermatheca.  Female prerectum length three to four times the body width, rectum a little longer than the anal body diameter.  Female body tapering posteriorly to the hemispherical tail.  Posterior portion of the male very slightly arcuate.  Supplements consisting of an adanal pair and two ventromedian ones, spaced far apart.  A third rudimentary supplement lies close to the second supplement and anterior to this are five presupplementary papillae-like organs, the most anterior supplements.  Spicula arcuate with very small lateral guiding pieces.
    Diagnosis: Belondira with the above measurements and general description.  Most closely related to B. ortha from which if differs in the conoid tail and more tapering posterior portion of the body.
    Habitat: One male and four females from soil about roots of shrubs at an elevation of 9,500 feet on Mt. Wolverine, near Brighton, Utah U.S.A.

DNA Sequences Obtained

Specimen:	Collected:
Konza IAB-113	Konza Prairie, first survey
KonzaIII AA-77	Konza Prairie, first survey