Description of Acrolobus longigubernaculum sp n. (Nematoda, Rhabditida, Cephalobidae) from Iran, the second species of the genus

A new species of the genus Acrolobus was recovered during a survey of soil nematodes. Acrolobus longigubernaculum sp. n., collected from the rhizosphere of weeds in northeastern Iran, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by a body length of 0.72-0.98 mm in females and 0.73-0.84 mm in males, annulated cuticle, lateral fields with three longitudinal incisures, lip region slightly offset from the neck and 8-11 mu m wide, lips leaf-like, stoma 12-16 mu m long, pharyngeal corpus 2.7-3.2 times isthmus length, vulva located slightly posterior to middle of body (V = 61-65), spermatheca 26-46 mu m long, postuterine sac 27-49 mu m long or 0.9-1.3 times the corresponding body diameter, female tail conical with a fine, short mucro (47-58 mu m, c = 13.9-18.5, c' = 2.4-3.2), male tail conical bearing a fine mucro (47-50 mu m, c = 14.8-17.5; c' = 2-2.3), spicules 26-30 mu m long and ventrally curved, and gubernaculum 12-16 mu m long (50% of spicule length). The new taxon is the second species of the genus Acrolobus and is compared to the type species, A. emarginatus.