Aa. Johnson et Mg. Kleve, 2 NEW SPECIES OF STRELKOVIMERMIS (NEMATODA, MERMITHIDAE) AS IMAGICIDAL PARASITES OF CHIRONOMIDS (DIPTERA, CHIRONOMIDAE) IN LAKE ITASCA, MINNESOTA, USA, Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 112(2), 1993, pp. 128-139
June 1988-1992 collections of imagos of Chironomus plumosus, Chironomu
s tentans, and Chironomus atroviridis from Lake Itasca (Clearwater Cou
nty), Minnesota, U.S.A., yielded two new species of post-parasitic mer
mithid nematodes in the genus Strelkovimermis. The hemocoelic nematode
species from the first two hosts is described as Strelkovimermis itas
censis n. sp. and from the third host, Strelkovimermis atroviridis n.
sp. A long buccal funnel and an acute posterior terminus separate S. i
tascensis from the other seven species in the genus. A rounded posteri
or terminus, lack of a neck constriction, vagina with long terminal li
mbs, and spicules that lack terminal spines distinguish S. atroviridis
. The six previously described species in this genus were reported fro
m Russia, Argentina and southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A. S. itascensis r
esembles S. singularis most closely, and S. atroviridis most closely r
esembles S. viridis. The length of the buccal funnel is suggested as a
useful diagnostic characteristic in mermithid nematodes.