Paul's Bizarre Worm Bazaar

A Selection of Fine Worms

Last revised 3 March 1999

Paul's home page (under construction)

Published Papers (under construction)

Here are my collected works, with notes on subsequent developments, changes of opinion or blatant errors. The 3-digit numbers preceding each reference are registration numbers in the reprint collection of the Institute of Zoology at the University of Ghent. If the 3-digit number of a given paper is highlighted, then reprints of that paper are (at least to my knowledge) still available and can be requested from the Librarian of the Institute.

(474) DE LEY, P.; COOMANS, A. & GERAERT, E. (1990). Metacrobeles tessellatus sp.n., second species of a rare genus (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Nematologica, 35 (1989): 25-36. comments

(476) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1990). Drilocephalobus moldavicus Lisetskaya, 1968 from Senegal: an odd nematode adds to its reputation under the Scanning Electron Microscope (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Revue de Nématologie, 13: 37-43.

(482) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1990). A revision of the genus Bathyodontus Fielding, 1950 with the description of a male B. cylindricus Fielding, 1950 (Nematoda: Mononchina). Nematologica, 35 (1989): 147-164.

(498) DE CLERCK, G. & DE LEY, P. (1990). Stegelletina doorsselaeri n.sp.: a new species intermediate between Stegelletina Andrássy, 1984 and Acrobeles von Linstow, 1877 (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Journal of African Zoology, 104: 221-227. comments

(509) DE LEY, P.; GERAERT, E. & COOMANS, A. (1990). Seven cephalobids from Senegal (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Journal of African Zoology, 104: 287-304. comments.

(523) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1990). Terrestrial Nematodes of the Galápagos Archipelago I: Three Rhabditida from Isla Fernandina. Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen - Biologie, 60: 5-22. comments

(547) DE LEY, P. & SIDDIQI, M.R. (1991). Description of Pseudacrobeles macrocystis sp.n., with some new observations on the morphology of Cephalobidae (Nematoda). Afro-Asian Journal of Nematology, 1: 31-40.

(558) DE LEY, P. (1992). The nematode community of a marginal soil at Cambérène, Senegal, with special attention to functional morphology and niche partitioning in the family Cephalobidae. Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België - Klasse der Wetenschappen, 53 (1991): 107-153.

(567) DE LEY, P. & VANDEBROEK, I. (1992). Stegelletina laticollaris n.sp., a second new species of the genus from Senegal (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Belgian Journal of Zoology, 122: 139-146.

(572) SIDDIQI, M.R.; DE LEY, P. & KHAN, H.A. (1993). Acrobeloides saeedi sp.n. from Pakistan and redescription of A. bodenheimeri (Steiner) and Placodira lobata Thorne (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Afro-Asian Journal of Nematology, 2 (1992): 5-16.

(582) DE LEY, P.; SIDDIQI, M.R. & BOSTRÖM, S. (1993). A revision of the genus Pseudacrobeles Steiner, 1938 (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Part 1. Subgenus Pseudacrobeles grad.n. Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 16: 219-238.

(583) DE LEY, P.; SIDDIQI, M.R. & BOSTRÖM, S. (1993). A revision of the genus Pseudacrobeles Steiner, 1938 (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Part 2. Subgenus Bunobus subg. n., Problematical Species, Discussion and Key. Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 16: 289-308.

(596) DE LEY, P.; LOOF, P.A.A. & COOMANS, A. (1993). Terrestrial nematodes of the Galápagos Archipelago II: Redescription of Aporcelaimellus obtusicaudatus (Bastian, 1865) Altherr, 1968, with review of similar species and a nomenclature for the vagina in Dorylaimida (Nematoda). Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen - Biologie, 63: 13-34.

(597) DE LEY, P.; DE GRISSE, A.; VAN DE VELDE, M.C. & COOMANS, A. (1993). Ultrastructure of the stoma in Tylopharynx. Mededelingen van de faculteit landbouwwetenschappen - Universiteit Gent, 58: 763-778.

(598) DE LEY, P.; HERNANDEZ, M.A. & AGUDO, J. (1994). A redescription of Ypsylonellus similis (Thorne, 1925) Andrássy, 1984, with descriptions of some related species (Nematoda: Cephalobidae). Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 17: 1-16.

(none) BIRD, A.F.; DE LEY, P. & BIRD, J. (1994). Morphology, oviposition and embryogenesis in an Australian population of Acrobeloides nanus. Journal of Nematology, 25: 607 615.

(609) DE LEY, P.; COOMANS, A. & GERAERT, E. (1994). Terrestrial nematodes of the Galápagos Archipelago 3. Aenigmenchus floreanae gen. n., sp. n., a puzzling new secernentean (Diplogasterida: Tylopharyngidae?). Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 17: 339-346.

(616) VAN DE VELDE, M.C.; DE LEY, P.; MOUNPORT, D.; BAUJARD, P. & COOMANS, A. (1994). Ultrastructure of the buccal cavity and the cuticle of three Cephalobidae (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Nematologica, 40: 541-563.

(620) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1994). Terrestrial nematodes from the Galápagos Archipelago IV. The genus Plectus Bastian, 1865, with description of three new species (Leptolaimina: Plectidae). Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen - Biologie, 64: 43 70.

(625) DE LEY, P.; VAN DE VELDE, M.C.; MOUNPORT, D.; BAUJARD, P. & COOMANS, A. (1995). Ultrastructure of the stoma in Cephalobidae, Panagrolaimidae and Rhabditidae, with a proposal for a revised stoma terminology in Rhabditida (Nematoda). Nematologica, 41: 153-182.

(631) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1995). Terrestrial nematodes from the Galápagos Archipelago V: Description of Aquatides coboi sp. n., with a key to the genus (Dorylaimida: Nygolaimidae). Russian Journal of Nematology, 3: 1-8.

(643) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1996). Terrestrial nematodes from the Galápagos Archipelago. 6. Punchaulus gemellensis, a new genus and species of Aphelenchoididae (Tylenchida). Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 19: 159-165.

(none) FÉLIX, M.-A.; STERNBERG, P. & DE LEY, P. (1996). Sinistral nematode population. Nature 381: 122.

(672) BOSTRÖM, S. & DE LEY, P. (1996). Redescription of Cervidellus vexilliger (de Man, 1880) Thorne, 1937 (Nematoda: Cephalobidae) and taxonomical implications. Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 19: 329-340.

(673) DE LEY, P. & COOMANS, A. (1997). Terrestrial nematodes of the Galapagos archipelago. 7. Description of Tylocephalus nimius sp.n. and new data on the morphology, development and behaviour of T. auriculatus (Butschli, 1873) Anderson, 1966 (Leptolaimina: Plectidae). Fundamental and Applied Nematology 20: 213-228.

(675) DE LEY, P. & COYNE, D. (1997). Actinca irmae sp. n., a new species of Actinolaimidae (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from Ivory Coast. Russian Journal of Nematology 5: 45-54.

(678) SHAHINA, F. & DE LEY, P. (1997). Two new species of Cephalobidae from Valle de la Luna, Argentina and observations on the genera Acrobeles and Nothacrobeles (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Fundamental and Applied Nematology 20: 329-347.

(689) KAREGAR, A. & DE LEY, P. & GERAERT, E. A detailed morphological study of Acromoldavicus skrjabini (Nesterov & Lisetskaya, 1965) Nesterov, 1970 (Nematoda: Cephaloboidea) from Iran and Spain. Fundamental and Applied Nematology 20: 277-283.

(690) KAREGAR, A.; DE LEY, P. & GERAERT, E. (1997). Three teratocephalid nematodes from Iran. Fundamental and Applied Nematology, 20: 459-471.

(none) DE LEY, P. (1997). The current state of affairs in identification and diagnosis of the genera of the family Cephalobidae (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Mededelingen Faculteit Landbouwkundige en Toegepaste Biologische Wetenschappen, 62: 657-673.

(none) BLAXTER, M.L.; DE LEY, P.; GAREY, J.R.; LIU, L.X.; SCHELDEMAN, P.; VIERSTRAETE, A.; VANFLETEREN, J.R.; MACKEY, L.Y.; DORRIS, M.; FRISSE, L.M.; VIDA, J.T. & THOMAS, W.K. (1998). A molecular evolutionary framework for the phylum Nematoda. Nature, 392: 71-75.

(701) EYUALEM, A.; KAREGAR, A.; NABIL, A. & DE LEY, P. (1998). A redescription and ultrastructural study of Diploscapter coronatus (Cobb, 1893) Cobb, 1913 from Ethiopia and Iran. Russian Journal of Nematology, 6: 17-22.

(702) KAREGAR, A.; DE LEY, P. & GERAERT, E. (1998). The genera Cervidellus Thorne, 1937 and Stegelletina Andrássy, 1984 (Nematoda: Cephalobidae) from Iran, with description of S. kheirii sp. n. Russian Journal of Nematology, 6: 23-36.

Where to request reprints:

The Librarian - Nematode Reprint Collection
Instituut voor Dierkunde, Vakgroep MSE
Universiteit Gent
Ledeganckstraat 35
B-9000 Gent, BELGIUM

Fax: +32 (0)9 264 5344

474 - Comments on the description of Metacrobeles:

- Contrary to the text, males of Metacrobeles have three pairs of genital papillae on the tail tip (one laterosubdorsal, one lateral and one laterosubventral pair) just like all other Cephalobidae. I checked paratypes when I began to realise that many published descriptions contain incorrect numbers of male genital papillae. Apparently, all males of Cephalobidae have five pairs of genital papillae on the tail, two or three pairs preanally, and a tiny single midventral papilla on the just anterior to the cloacal aperture.

- The number of stoma parts visible with light microscope in Metacrobeles (6) is not at all unusual within Cephalobidae - it only seemed so at the time, compared to previous drawings and descriptions. Some of my later papers (547, 616 and 625) returned to this issue and reinterpreted the "typical" stoma structure of cephalobids. As a result, Metacrobeles is only distinctive in the posterior vulva position and extreme spicule length, two characters that are functionally linked. I no longer think it merits special status among cephalobid genera, not even as a separate subfamily.

498 - Comments on the description of Stegelletina doorsselaeri:

- My first encounter with Cervidellus-like species, and the beginning of a long struggle with some of the cutest and most taxonomically maltreated species of cephalobids. At the time, we still adhered to Andrássy's (1984) diagnosis of Stegelletina as containing species with longitudinal lines, bifurcate probolae and pointed tail. By now, Stegelletina has been sunk (598) and resurrected (Boström & De Ley, 1996) again as a genus with species having primary axils with single guard process, bifurcate probolae and mucronate tail. S. doorsselaeri is currently classified as Cervidellus doorsselaeri (De Clerck & De Ley, 1990) Boström & De Ley, 1996 ... until the next twist of the tale.

509 - Comments on Cephalobus camberenensis and Stegelletina capraeola:

- S. capraeola is close to S. doorsselaeri and currently classified as Cervidellus capraeolus. See comments above for S. doorsselaeri.

- The beginning of another tortuous story, where I have been fooled at every turn by the one cephalobid species I love to hate: Acrobeloides bodenheimeri. In this first of many slip-ups, we described a bodenheimeri-like species from Senegal as new species C. camberenensis, because we accepted the species diagnosis of A. bodenheimeri in Andrássy's (1984). One year later, when I finally had the good sense of requesting type material, it turned out that A. bodenheimeri has five lateral lines and a long postvulval sac, just like C. camberenensis. So, in (572) we sunk C. camberenensis while redescribing A. bodenheimeri.

Two years later I met Marie-Anne Félix when she was presenting a poster on gonad development in Cephalobidae. She told me she had a left-handed species of Cephalobidae (Félix et al., 1996), and when I received material for identification it proved to be ... A. bodenheimeri - after checking the type material AGAIN and comparing with Steiner's drawings (which clearly depict left-handed male and female reproductive systems). By contrast, the type material of C. camberenensis is right-handed, and a right-handed strain in culture from Senegal does not interbreed with cultured strains of A. bodenheimeri. Conclusion: C. camberenensis IS valid and provisionally placed in Acrobeloides with its "twin" A. bodenheimeri (the implications of these species to genus diagnosis are even more worrying, and at the moment there is no coherent solution to their classification). A paper on this new turn is in preparation.

523 - Comments on 3 Rhabditida from Fernandina:

A premature paper if ever there was one: it got me into another quagmire called Panagrocephalus aka Pseudacrobeles, two genera that were classified in separate subfamilies by Andrássy (1984) but are actually identical (582, 583) and contain the taxonomic "seeds of destruction" for the much more widely reported genera Heterocephalobus and Eucephalobus. In turn, Pseudacrobeles is only distinguishable from Cephalobus by the length of the lateral field on the tail - a mere technicality.
But in addition to genus complications, Pseudacrobeles also looms large as one of the most fluid collections of nominal species, and the type species is very appropriately called P. variabilis.

With this first paper on nematodes from the Galápagos, I made the mistake of writing up a description of "new subspecies" Panagrocephalus anadelphus impervius before I had gotten through all samples from the other islands visited. Three years later, after a very exhausting detour through numerous populations from the Galápagos and other tropical locations, it turned out that almost everything in this trinomen was wrong - the species is now classified as Pseudacrobeles [variabilis] impervius, and it remains very much to be seen whether separate species status within putative superspecies P. [variabilis] is at all meaningful (let alone correct).

More to follow soon...