Discolaimus auritus
Lordello, 1955
Female: 1.64 mm; a = 27.06; b = 4.27; c = 44.1; V = 44.3%
Body tapering near the extremities.
Lip region broadly expanded being half as wide as body; labial papillae
prominent; amphids small, about one-sixth as wide as labial region.
Spear 24.9u long, slightly arcuate; spear extension measuring 41.5u
and spear aperture 11.8u. Cuticle with fine transverse striations.
Lateral fields about one-fourth as wide as mid-body, being formed by a
single line of rather large cells.
Tail somewhat shorter than anal body diameter,
dorsally and ventrally convex-conoid to digitate terminus. No papillae
could be seen on the tail. If they exist, they are extremely small.
Oesophagus having an elongate bulb beginning
near the middle of the spear extension. The oesophagus soon narrows
in order to pass through the nerve ring and then enlarges, forming an irregularly
cylindrical and muscular basal portion, which measures 236.0 x 34.0 u.
Five nuclei of oesophageal glands could be
observed in the basal bulb, as
illustrated. Cardia conoid. Cells of intestine with small
dark granules. In one larva, the circumference of the intestine comprised
at least 6 cells.
Ovaries two, reflexed, equal in development.
No eggs were seen in the uterus.
Males unknown. The study of the species
has been based on a single female and two larvae, one of which was heavily
attacked by an unidentified sporozoan. The tail of the larva is similar
to that of the adult, but just a little more acute. The dimension
of the two larvae is as follows:
| Total length |
1.000.0 and 902.0u
|
| Width |
44.0 and 44.0u
|
| Length of oesophagus |
268.0 and 246.0u
|
| Tail |
28.4 and 28.0u
|
One of the larvae showed a new spear at the level
of the first expansion of the oesophagus, whichi would replace the former
spear during the moult. The new spear was a little longer than the
one which would be replaced (20.8 : 20.0u).
Food habits unknown. It is supposed that it has the same feeding
behaviour observed in toher species of the genus, which are predacious
(Linford, 1937; Linford & Oliveira, 1937).
Diagnosis. Discolaimus closely resembling D. texanus
Cobb,
1913, but differing in: 1. the form of the posterior portion of the body,
which is ventrally and dorsally convex and more pointed than in D. texanus;
2. the less prominent lips; 3. the greater width of the female (a = 27.06
: 35.0); and 4. the smaller amphids.
Habitat. The specimens were obtained from soil around
the roots of forest trees, in a wood located at Piracicava, State of S.
Paulo, Brazil.
(Description- Lordello, 1955)
DNA Seqences Obtained
