RHABDITIS (OSCHEIUS) PHEROPSOPHI N-SP (RHABDITIDA, RHABDITIDAE)

Rhabditis (Oscheius) pheropsophi n. sp., associated with cadavers of t he bombardier beetle, Pheropsophus aequinoctialis, is described from m aterial collected in Brazil. Mean body length of the female is 1,217 m um, of the male 872 mum, and of the dauer juvenile 568 mum. The female has six lips with one papilla on each lateral lip and two on each sub lateral lip; stoma wall thickened dorsally, metarhabdions with warts, excretory pore near base of esophagus, tail long (c = 8), and phasmids prominent, protruding on scanning electron microscope preparations. T he male has 10 pairs of bursal ribs, with the terminal pair considerab ly smaller than the others; spicules fused distally two-thirds of thei r length. The new species can be distinguished from other members of t he Doli-chura-group by its fused spicules.