7/2/2023 0 Comments Download horsehair worm![]() The common name of the phylum Nematomorpha is horsehair worms, and is used here for convenience. Although both species possess the same six cuticular structures of areoles on the surface, the significantly longer filaments on the female crowned areoles can be used as diagnostic characters for the new species. n., is described and compared to a closely related species, C. Inside there is a ventral cord containing nerve tracks but no similar dorsal cord. A new species of horsehair worm, Chordodes formosanussp. There is a vent (cloaca) at the rear end of the body but there is no mouth. It does not have lateral rows of hairs (setae), but it does have bristles that aid in swimming. The outer layer often has groups of wart-like or pimple-like bumps (areoles). ![]() The body is unsegmented and is covered by a thick, two-layered cuticle. There is a blunt head and a swollen tail, but there are otherwise no distinguishing features that can be seen in the field without magnification. The body color is purplish-brown to black in most species, tan in some species. They are 1⁄ 32 ″to ⅛ ″ (1 to 3 mm) in diameter and are usually 12 ″ to 16 ″ (30 to 40 cm) long but some can grow up to 47 ″ (120 cm) in length. They do not feed, but may absorb nutrients through their body walls.Īdults are very long, hair-like worms. Download by: Humboldt State University Date: 19 November 2015, At: 09:55. They are found usually in freshwater habitats, sometimes in semi-aquatic habitats, or inside terrestrial hosts usually near water. Horsehair worms usually were only a trace component of the diet, but some individual fish had eaten multiple worms. It is thought that they influence the behavior of their host, bringing them near water when the adult is ready to emerge.Īdults are free-living. They feed on and absorb nutrients from the gut of their host. Larvae are parasites of insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids (Orthoptera). There are about 320 (Wikipedia) or 356 (Encyclopedia of Life) species in 18 genera in 2 families worldwide, at least four species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 2 species in Minnesota. ![]() It is the only order in the class Gordioida. Gordioidea is an order of parasitic horsehair worms. ![]()
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