REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

 Nematodes are dioecious or amphigonus with separate

males and females. Few species having males and female
equal proportions.
 Usually the males are lesser or far lesser than the
females or may even be completely absent.
 Intersexually is an abnormal phenomenon in which the
intersex shows blend of female and male characters.
 Intersexes are predominantly female e.g.,
Tylenchorhynchus, Quinisulcius, Ditylenchus
possessing rudiments of male secondary characters like
spicules, gubernaculums etc.
 In some species of Meloidogyne male intersexuality
has been reported. Intersex male possesses rudiments of
vulva, vargina etc. in addition to normal male features.
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 The female nematode possess either two sets or
branches (didelphic) or only one set (monodelphic)
of reproductive organs.
 When two branches are present, Amphidelphic: one
branch anterior to vulva and the other posterior to
vulva. The position of vulva is usually in or near the
middle of body.
 There are two sets of reproductive organs, both are
directed anterior to vulva (didelphic, prodelphic),
the vulva being terminal.
 When a single set of reproductive organs is present, it
may either be anterior to vulva (monodelphic,
prodelphic) or posterior to vulva (monodelphic,
opisthodelphic)
Female reproductive system
 Female sexual branch typically comparises an ovary,
oviduct, uterus, vagina and vulva.
 The ovary is a hollow, elongate tube line with
flattened epithelial cells and contains few to a
large number of oocytes. The apical end of ovary
has a cap cell at the tip. It is called germinal or
zone of multiplication.
 This region is followed by the growth zone which
constitutes the greater part of the ovary.
 Oocytes as and when they are ripe pass into the
oviduct through a tiny canal-- oviduct which is a
narrow tube between the ovary and uterus.


The uterus is the largest and the most complex part

of the reproductive tract and serves the function of
fertilization, egg shell formation and ejection of
eggs.
 The uterus (or uteri) join vagina which is a short,
narrow and flattened tube lined with cuticle and
provided with well developed musculature vagina
opens to the exterior through mid ventral opening the
vulva.
 eggs are usually covered by three distinct
membranes
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 The male possess either one testis - monorchic or two
testis -- diorchic.
 The tylenchs are always monarchic with outstretched
testis, exception being males of Meloidogyne spp.
pro-diorchic.
 In testis germinal and growth zones can easily be
demarcated.
 In tylenchida the gonoduct may be differentiated
into a distal vas deferens and a proximal ejaculatory
duct.
 Vas deferens is glandular in nature and stores the
developing sperms as they trickle down from testis.
 The ejaculatory duct helps in the ejection of sperms
during fertilization.
Male reproductive system
 Anterior protector spiculi
=
Capitulum =
Spicule =

Gubernaculum =
Protactor gubernaculi =

Posterior protector spiculi =

Caudal alae =
The cloaca is provided with male copulatory
structures such as spicules, gubernaculums
etc.
The spicules function to open the vulva for
the transfer of sperms during copulation.
Gubernaculum is a sclerotized plate –like
structure situated dorsal to the spicules.
 Gubernaculums guide the spicules during
copulation.
 NERVOUS SYSTEM

 Nerve ring, the so called brain of the nematode

 It encircles the oesophagus, usually the isthmus.

 Sense organs are broadly of 2 types, i.e.

tactoreceptors (which perceive the sense of touch),
e.g. papillae and chemoreceptors (belived to sense
the presence of chemicals), e.g. amphids and
phasmids.
 Amphids are a pair of sense organs located in the
head regions and open on each of the 2 lateral sides
through amphidial apertures.

 A similar pair of chemoreceptors, the phasmids, are

located in the tail region, opening through pores in
the lateral fields.
 Amphidial aperture

Fovea / pouch

Amphidial canal

Fusus/
sensilla pouch

Amphidial slit
 Phasmid-
Tylenchus

Scutellum-
Scutellonema

Phasmid-
Tylenchorhynchus
EXCRETORY SYSTEM
Two types of excretory systems are present in nematodes-the
canalicular and the glandular.
 Canalicular type, longitudinal canals or tubes run almost the
entire length of nematode in the lateral hypodermal chords.
These canals are interconnected and form a terminal
excretory duct, which opens to outside through excretory
pore, usually located in the oesophageal region on the
ventral side.
Most of the plan parasitic nematodes (tylenchids) have the
canalicular type of system, and excretory duct is the only part
visible in the whole mounts.
 Glandular type of excretory system consists essentially of a
single cell (renette, sinus or cervical cell) which leads to a duct
(excretory duct) opening to the outside through a pore (excretory
pore) on the ventral side
 The whole system lies freely in the pseudocoelom.
 Adenophorea

Secernentea
Excretory system
 Mode of Infection

 Most nematodes invade tissues intercellularly,

but some can invade intracellularly as well.
 Many nematodes do not invade cells or
tissues at all but feed by piercing epidermal
cells with their stylets.
 FEEDING HABITS
CLASSIFICATION OF PHYTONEMATODES ON THE BASIS
OF PARASITISM
Plant parasitic nematodes can be divided into
2 broad groups– a vast majority which attacks
roots and other below–ground plant parts-
roots and a few forms which attack above–
ground plant parts such as stems, leaves,
buds, inflorescence etc.
 Parasites of Below–ground Plant Parts
 Ectoparasites: These forms spend their entire
life–cycle in soil and move about freely in the
rhizosphere.
 They feed intermittently on root epidermis
and root hairs, but do not enter inside the
plant tissues.
 Only stylet is inserted into the plant cell to
draw the nutrition. Eggs are laid in the soil.
 e.g. Xiphinema ,Longidorus
 Migratory ectoparasites:
Majority of the ectoparasites feed at a
particular site for a brief period and then
move to the next site.
 Examples, Sting nematode–Belonolaimus
 Dagger nematode–Xiphinema
 Needle nematode–Longidorus
 Stubby root nematode-Trichodorus,
Criconemoides , Paratylenchus.
 Sedentary Ectoparasites:
Some ectroparasitic nematodes are sluggish, and
feed at a particular site for long time. They may
secrete a plug to fix their stylet at a particular
feeding point.
 Such nematodes usually have a stout and long
stylet relative to their small body size. Examples:
 Sheath nematode–Hemicycliophora arenaria,
Criconema
 Sessile nematode– Cacoparus pestis,
Hemicriconemoides
 Semi–endoparasites
 Usually, the anterior portion of the body is inserted
inside the plant tissues.
 Establish a feeding site and do not move after
infection. Posterior portion of the female body
outside the roots becomes swollen to varying degree.
 Eggs are laid in masses around the body on the root
surface, often embedded in gelatinous substances
secreted by female.
e.g. Citrus nematodes– Tylenchulus semipenetrans,
Reniform nematode–Rotylenchulus reniformis
 Endoparasites
These are considered to be the most destructive
forms of plant parasitic nematodes.
 After infection, they are almost completely
embedded within the roots, where they feed
and reproduce.
 The entire life–cycle, may be completed within
the root system.
 However, at some stage of the life–cycle, they
may come out the root system in search of new
roots.
 These can also be sub–divided into 2 groups.
 Sedentary Endoparasites
Considered to be the most advanced plant parasites. Only
some specific stage of the life–cycle, generally the
second–stage juvenile, occurs in soil and causes
infection.
 After penetrating the roots, they establish a permanent
feeding site which usually involves the vascular tissues,
lose the power of locomotion and become sessile.
 The body of the adult female is enlarged manifold and
becomes sac–like, lemon shaped etc.
 Eggs may be in matrix, or within the body of the female.
Examples
Root–knot nematode– Meloidogyne
Cyst nematodes– Heterodera, Globodera
 Parasites of Above–ground Plant Parts
 This group of plant parasites is specially
adapted to feed on above-ground plant parts
such as stems, leaves, buds, inflorescence etc.
 They can crawl up the plants in thin films of
water and may feed both ectoparasitically
and endoparasitically. Eggs are deposited on
the plant tissues.
 These can be divided into 3 categories.
 Gall forming: Wheat seedgall nematode-
Anguina tritici
 Leaf gall nematode-Anguina balsamophila
 Non gall forming: Stem nematode –
Ditylenchus dipsaci, D. angustus
 Foliar nematode—Aphelenchoides
ritzemabosi, A. fragariae