Project(s) of GTI scholarship holder MORFFE RODRIGUEZ Jans

Taxonomic revision of the family Hystrignathidae (Nematoda: Oxyurida), parasites of passalid beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae)

Grantee: MORFFE RODRIGUEZ Jans

Internship details

  • Years

    2010, 2012 and 2013

  • Training location

    Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

  • Belgian supervisor

    Dr. Decraemer Wilfrida

  • Studied organism (classification)

    Animalia – Nematoda – Secernentea – Rhabditida – Hystrignathidae

  • Reports

The research on Hystrignathidae (Oxyurida: Thelastomatoidea) from passalid beetles is recent in Cuba, with 16 species described. They are known from a few localities but the hystrignathid fauna from most of the Cuban ecosystems is largely unknown.

The objective of this project is to realize the taxonomic revision of the family Hystrignathidae from Cuba in order to clarify the taxonomical status of the known species, re-describe them and amend their diagnosis if necessary, to describe the new taxa found and to increase the number of material deposited in Cuban and foreign collections. In this sense the techniques of processing and mounting nematodes need to be perfected. To do the revision, comparison with species from South America, Africa and West Indies is recommended, given their similarities with some Cuban species. Actually, several species remain unidentified due to the lack of type material for comparison; such material is deposited in collections from Brazil, France and UK and could be borrowed to a Belgian institution.

Additionally, access to SEM and molecular techniques is requested, to complement the information that will be obtained by the revision of material from collections.

Additional documentation

Scientific papers

Morffe, J., García, N., Breugelmans, K., Hasegawa, K., and Davis, A. K. (2019). Morphological and molecular characterization of Lepidonema magnum Morffe & García, 2010 (Nematoda: Oxyuridomorpha: Hystrignathidae) from Passalus interstitialis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from Cuba and new locality records for the species. Zootaxa 4551, 221–230. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4551.2.6 Morffe, J., García, N., Davis, A. K., Hasegawa, K., and Carreno, R. A. (2019). Morphological and molecular characterization of Xyo pseudohystrix Travassos & Kloss, 1958 (Nematoda: Oxyuridomorpha: Hystrignathidae) from Odontotaenius disjunctus (Illiger, 1800) (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from USA and discussion on its taxonomic status. Zootaxa 4619, 391–400. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4619.2.13 Morffe, J., García, N., Breugelmans, K., and Adams, B. J. (2018). Morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis clarify the taxonomic status of Cuban Longior Travassos & Kloss, 1958 (Nematoda: Thelastomatoidea: Hystrignathidae). Zootaxa 4399, 521–542. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4399.4.3 Morffe, J., García, N., Breugelmans, K., Adams, B. J., and Hasegawa, K. (2018). Morphological and molecular characterization of Coynema poeyi (Coy, García & Álvarez, 1993) (Oxyuridomorpha: Hystrignathidae) from Antillanax pertyi (Kaup, 1869) (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from Cuba and new locality records for the species. Zootaxa 4497, 29–40. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4497.1.2 García, N., and Morffe, J. (2015). A new genus and two new species of Xustrostomatidae Hunt, 2002 (Nematoda: Rhigonematomorpha) from the West Indies. Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo) 55, 91–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2015.55.06 Morffe, J., and García, N. (2015). Redescription of the females of Hystrignathus rigidus Leidy, 1950 (Nematoda: Hystrignathidae), parasites of Odontotaenius disjunctus (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from Eastern USA. Zootaxa 3941, 131–136. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3941.1.8 García Rodríguez, N., and Morffe Rodríguez, J. (2014). A new species of Carnoya Gilson, 1898 (Rhigonematida: Carnoyidae) parasite of a spirobolid (Diplopoda: Spirobolida) from Cuba. Zootaxa 3795, 549–556. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3795.5.3 García Rodríguez, N., and Morffe Rodríguez, J. (2014). Estado taxonómico de Ichthyocephalus anafe García et Coy, 1996 e I. guaniguanico García et Coy, 1999 (Rhigonematida: Ichthyocephalidae) y nuevos registros de I. cubensis Spiridonov, 1989 para Cuba. Novitates Caribaea 7, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.33800/nc.v0i7.65 García, N., and Morffe, J. (2014). A new species of Rhigonema Cobb, 1898 (Nematoda: Rhigonematidae) from a Cuban spirobolid millipede (Diplopoda: Spirobolida). Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo) 54, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.01 Morffe, J., and García, N. (2013). Batwanema gen. n. and Chokwenema gen. n. (Oxyurida, Hystrignathidae), new nematode genera as parasites of Passalidae (Coleoptera) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. ZooKeys 361, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.361.6351 Morffe, J., and García, N. (2013). Two new genera of nematodes (Oxyurida: Hystrignathidae) parasites of Passalidae (Coleoptera) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. ZooKeys 257, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.257.3666