(Description from Thorne, 1939)
Body practically cylindrical from a short distance in front of anus
to middle of neck. Cuticle with easily visible transverse striae.
Lateral series of organs usually, but not always, a conspicuous feature.
These organs number from 40 to 60, are irregular in size and arrangement
and from each one a connection extends through the cuticle to a pore.
Lip region half as wide as neck base and equal in width to the adjacent
head from which it is separated by a deep constriction. Six rounded
liplets surround the vestibule. Amphids about half as wide as head,
stirrupform, the apertures invisible behind the overhanging lips.
Spear length equal to head width, the aperture occupying half its length.
Guiding ring obscure, extensible as the spear is thrust out. Esophagus
beginning as an ellipsoid bulb surrounding the junction of the spear extension
and the esophageal lumen then extending back as a weak colorless tube.
Near the middle the esophagus is rather suddenly enlarged and the musculature
becomes more pronounced. Specimens from Colorado had a distinct constriction
setting off the anterior portion of the esophagus, something rarely observed
in this genus. On entering the enlarged portion of the esophagus
the lumen frequently will be observed to form a slight angle dorsally.
At the apex of this angle the dorsal gland duct pore occurs. Opposite
the dorsal gland duct pore, in the thickened portion of the musculature,
is what appears to be a gland-like body but a nucleus has not definantly
been located in it nor has an outlet been observed. From a dorsal
or ventral view the enlarged portion of the esophagus is frequently seen
to be indented by the organs of the lateral cords. Frequently a membrane-like
sheath is observed about the base of the esophagus. Cardia elongate-hemispheroid.
Intestine apparently four cells in circumference, its granules fine and
rather colorless. Vulva a small transverse slit. Vagina refractive,
obscurely muscled, extending about one-third across the body. Ovaries
symmetrical, reflexed half way to vulva. Eggs three to four times
as long as body width. Rectum and prerectum each about as long as
tail. Female tail somewhat convex conoid dorsally, tapering to the
blunt, rounded terminus. The tail of the one imperfect male found
is similar to that of the female and bears two pairs of papillae.
Spicula broad, strong, arcuate with obscure lateral guiding pieces.
Supplements consisting of the adanal pair and three ventrmedian ones arranged
as illustrated. Musculature well developed. However the testes
and vas deferentia of this specimen had not developed, indicating sterility.
No sperms have been seen in the many females examined and therefore functional
males doutless do not occur.
Diagnosis: Discolaimium with the above measurements and
general description. Easily distinguished from its closest relative,
D.
conura, by its shorter, more blunt tail.
Habitat: Virgin and cultivated soil near Goshen, Lehi, Salt
Lake
and Ogden, Utah; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Riverside, California, U.S.A.
