Revision of the genusChordodes(Gordiida, Nematomorpha) from Africa—III: ultrastructural redescription ofChordodes capensisCamerano, 1895,C. clavatusLinstow, 1906,C. digitatusLinstow, 1901,C. tuberculatusLinstow, 1901, and reinterpretation ofC. ibembensisSciacchitano, 1958 andC. uncinatusSciacchitano, 1958

Abstract

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Chordodes ferox, a new record of horsehair worms (Nematomorpha, Gordiida) from South Africa

“…The two other Chordodes species described from South Africa, Chordodes capensis Camerano, 1895 and Chordodes hawkeri Camerano, 1902 differ substantially from the specimens reported here. Both of these species have been reinvestigated recently using SEM techniques (Zanca et al 2006b, De Villalobos et al 2007). In Chordodes capensis both sexes are similar in their cuticular characters, with the exception that crowned areoles with long filaments are present in females, but absent in males (De Villalobos et al 2007).…”

“…Both of these species have been reinvestigated recently using SEM techniques (Zanca et al 2006b, De Villalobos et al 2007). In Chordodes capensis both sexes are similar in their cuticular characters, with the exception that crowned areoles with long filaments are present in females, but absent in males (De Villalobos et al 2007). The main characters of Chordodes capensis which differ from the specimens reported here are the presence of fine bristles on the surface of the simple areoles, the scattered presence of tubercle areoles and the absence of thorn areoles.…”

“…A number of African species have been reinvestigated using SEM (e.g. Schmidt-Rhaesa and De Villalobos 2002, Zanca et al 2006a, b, De Villalobos et al 2007, 2009) and recent species descriptions always include SEM analyses (e.g. Bolek et al 2010, 2013, Hanelt et al 2012).…”

Novel techniques for biodiversity studies of gordiids and description of a new species of Chordodes (Gordiida, Nematomorpha) from Kenya, Africa

“…With few exceptions, the genus Chordodes has a tropical and subtropical distribution and is one of the most specious of the 19 extant and two extinct nematomorph genera with approximately 100 reported species (Poinar 1999;Poinar & Buckley 2006;Zanca et al 2006a;2006b;De Villalobos et al 2007;Schmidt-Rhaesa et al 2008;. However, limited morphological data is available for many species descriptions in the genus Chordodes.…”

“…Our observations on deformed individuals of C. kenyaensis clearly indicate that this areal pattern is consistent within this species but worm length appears not to be a good character for species differentiation within the genus Chordodes. Of the 19 other sufficiently described African Chordodes species, 14 species contain simple areoles that are not of the "blackberry" type (Zanca et al 2006a;2006b;De Villalobos et al 2007;Schmidt-Rhaesa et al 2008;De Villalobos et al 2009;Bolek et al 2010). Of those, seven species contain smooth simple areoles with minute bristles or projections on their apical surface (Chordodes capensis Camerano 1895, Chordodes digitatus Linstow 1901, C. janovyi, Chordodes kolensis Sciacchitano 1933, Chordodes madagascariensis (Camerano 1897), Chordodes sandoensis Sciacchitano 1937, and Chordodes tuberculatus Linstow 1901).…”