Moravec Frantisek, Little M D
Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branisovská 31, 370 05 Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Folia Parasitol (Praha). 2004 Dec;51(4):339-45. doi: 10.14411/fp.2004.043.
Dracunculus globocephalus Mackin, 1927 (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) is redescribed from specimens collected from the mesentery of the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (L.), in Louisiana, USA. The use of scanning electron microscopy, applied for the first time in this species, made it possible to study details in the structure of the cephalic end and the arrangement of male caudal papillae that are difficult to observe under the light microscope. This species markedly differs from all other species of Dracunculus in having the spicules greatly unequal in size and shape, in the absence of a gubernaculum, and in the disposition of male caudal papillae. The validity of D. globocephalus is confirmed, but the above mentioned morphological differences are not sufficient for listing it in a separate genus. This is the first record of D. globocephalus in Louisiana.
1927年麦金描述的球头龙线虫（线虫纲：龙线总科）是根据在美国路易斯安那州采集的来自鳄龟（Chelydra serpentina (L.)）肠系膜的标本重新描述的。首次将扫描电子显微镜应用于该物种，使得研究头部结构细节和雄性尾乳突排列成为可能，而这些在光学显微镜下很难观察到。该物种与龙线虫属的所有其他物种明显不同，在于交合刺在大小和形状上极不相等、没有引带以及雄性尾乳突的排列方式。球头龙线虫的有效性得到了确认，但上述形态差异不足以将其归入一个单独的属。这是球头龙线虫在路易斯安那州的首次记录。
