 |
 Entomelas
kazachstanica Sharpilo et Vakker, 1972
Synonyms: Paraentomelas kazachstanica (Sharpilo et Vakker, 1972) Sharpilo,
1976; Entomelas entomelas (Dujardin, 1845) sensu Baker, 1980 (part.).
Host: Ophisaurus apodus (Reptilia: Sauria: Anguidae).
Site: lungs.
Distribution: Western and, partially, Central Palaearctic (south-eastern
Europe, Caucasus, West of Central Asia).
Description
[All measurements are in micrometers unless otherwise indicated. The mean value
followed by limits in parentheses is given].
Adult hermaphrodites. Body slender. Head end rounded, tail end tapered.
Body length 3.75 (3.01 - 4.57) mm, maximum width 131 (110 - 188). Body cuticle inflated.
Oral opening round. Buccal capsule almost subspherical, with narrower basal part,
30 (28 - 32) deep and 36 (34 - 38) wide. Three of six teeth partially reduced. Oesophagus
club-shaped, elongated, 561 (510 - 616) long (15.1 (12.9 - 18.3) % of body length).
Width of posterior bulb 69 (60 - 80). Nerve ring at 192 (162 - 219) from anterior
end of oesophagus (34.3 (29.7 - 41.4) % of oesophagus length). Excretory pore situated
behind the level of nerve ring. Excretory glands elongated, shorter than oesophagus.
Intestine comparatively narrow, thick-walled. Proventriculus usually prominent. Vulva
at 2.12 (1.87 - 2.35) mm from anterior end (52.7 (49.6 - 57.8) % of total length).
Vulva lips distinct. Uteri tubular. Eggs numbering 3 - 15, containing embryos on early
cleavage stages. Ovaries almost straight, their proximal parts overlapping at vulva
level. Tail conical, elongated, sharply pointed. Tail length 219 (186 - 243) (5.9
(4.7 - 8.1) % of body length).
Subadult hermaphrodites differing from adults by less developed muscular and
hypodermal tissue in the head region and by thin and smooth body cuticle. Body length
3.0 (2.05 - 3.40) mm, maximum width 73 (60 - 82). Buccal capsule barrel-shaped, 30
(28 - 34) deep and 35 (34 - 38) wide. Oesophagus 518 (429 - 567) long (17.5 (15.6
- 24.1) % of body length). Bulb 57 (40 - 64) wide. Nerve ring at 184 (148 - 226) from
anterior end of oesophagus (35.4 (32.3 - 45.7) % of oesophagus length). Vulva at 1.63
(1.12 - 1.85) mm from anterior end (54.2 (50.8 - 56.1) % of general length). Uteri
short, tubular, empty. Proximal parts of syngonia overlapping at level of vulva. Tail
190 (130 - 222) long (6.4 (5.6 - 7.6) % of body length). Tail end sharpened.
Biology
Life cycle rhabdiasoid. Free-living females with up to 18 eggs in uteri. Up to
8 larvae develop inside each female. Infective larvae were able to infect terrestrial
snails Deroceras sp. and Arion sp. (Kuzmin, Sharpilo, 2000). Parasitic larvae were
observed in lungs, body cavity and large blood vessels of experimentally infected
host. Subadult hermaphrodites were found in body cavity of hosts.
Entomelas kazachstanica, hermaphroditic
generation adults:
A - anterior end; B, C - head end, lateral view (C - subgravid individual); D - head
end, subapical view; E - bottom of buccal capsule; F - tail end.
Scale bars: A - 0.2 mm, B, C - 0.05 mm, F - 0.1 mm.
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