Acrobeloides Cobb, 1924

The bacteria feeding terrestrial nematode genus Acrobeloides Cobb, 1924 is distributed world-wide and can be found in dry habitats and sandy soils (rarely in fresh water). It is a species rich genus, with about 15 species present in Europe. Males are usually very rare. Females are all relatively small with an annulated cuticle, labial probolae present and hemisperoid or conoid, pointed in shape (not incised). Stoma typical cephaloboid and narrow, rhabdions sclerotized. Lateral field with two to five incisures. The pharyngeal corpus is slightly swollen, posterior bulb well developed, vulva at about 2/3 of the body length and one ovary and a post-uterine sac are present. The tail is short and the tip can be rounded to pointed. The common species A. buetschii and A. nanus have been both described from the Netherlands by Dr. J.G. de Man (under the genus name Cephalobus).

More pictures of Acrobeloides buetschlii (de Man, 1884) Thorne, 1924:

Acrobeloides female body
Acrobeloides female body

Acrobeloides buetschlii: head region
Acrobeloides buetschlii: head region
Acrobeloides buetschlii: vulva
Acrobeloides buetschlii: vulva
Acrobeloides buetschlii: tail region
Acrobeloides buetschlii: tail region

More pictures of Acrobeloides nanus (de Man, 1880) Anderson, 1968:

Acrobeloides nanus: female body
Acrobeloides nanus: female body

Acrobeloides nanus: female body, anterior part
Acrobeloides nanus: female body, anterior part

Acrobeloides nanus: female body, posterior part
Acrobeloides nanus: female body, posterior part

Acrobeloides nanus: head region
Acrobeloides nanus: head region

Acrobeloides nanus: head region
Acrobeloides nanus: head region
Acrobeloides nanus: posterior pharyngeal part
Acrobeloides nanus: posterior pharyngeal part
Acrobeloides nanus: vulva
Acrobeloides nanus: vulva

Acrobeloides nanus: tail region
Acrobeloides nanus: tail region

More pictures of Acrobeloides apiculatus Thorne, 1925:

Acrobeloides apiculatus: female body
Acrobeloides apiculatus: female body
Acrobeloides apiculatus: head region
Acrobeloides apiculatus: head region
Acrobeloides apiculatus: vulva and egg (outside body)
Acrobeloides apiculatus: vulva and egg (outside body)
Acrobeloides apiculatus: tail region
Acrobeloides apiculatus: tail region

(Click on the pictures for an enlargement, ©Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology/Pictures: Hanny van Megen)