A description of a male Longidorus pisi (Nematoda: Dorylaimoidea) from Malawi with observations on females and the taxonomic status of the species

Abstract

Although Longidorus pisi (syn. L. siddiqii) was earlier reported from Malawi (Longidorus sp. in Saka and Siddiqi, 1979), only recently has a male been found from the rhizosphere of sugar cane at Nchalo, Malawi. As Jongidorid males have features that are useful taxonomic characters the male of L. pisi is described, for the first time, from the Nchalo specimen. Measurements of females from the same site are compared with other populations and the significance of the basal flanges of the odontophore is discussed. Specimens from Nchalo were killed in hot formalin and mounted using a slow glycerol method.