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Article: Synopsis and identification of North American hairworms (Gordioidea: Nematomorpha).
- Article from:
- Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science
- Article date:
- January 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Tennessee Academy of Science. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT -- The present work reviews the hosts, distributions, synonyms and taxonomic characters of North American hairworms (Gordioidea: Nematomorpha) and presents a key based on adult morphological characters that can be observed under the dissecting and light microscopes. A total of 18 described species are recognized in the present work. However the field is complicated by incomplete descriptions, lack of knowledge of morphological variation within species and sexual dimorphism.
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Hairworms, or Gordioidea, are fresh water members of the Phylum Nematomorpha. These enigmatic organisms, which stand apart from other invertebrates, have been ...