Four New Species of Labronema Thorne, 1939 From Islands in the Western Indian Ocean (Nematoda: Dorylaimoidea)

Abstract

Four new Labronema species are described from islands in the western Indian Ocean. L. bicuticulum sp. n., found on Mahe, Seychelles is characterized by a convex-conoid bluntly rounded tail with double cuticle. L. seychellense sp. n. from both La Digue and Mahe in the Seychelles resembles L. pygmaeum Heyns, 1963 and L. pusillum Andrassy, 1985, but can be distinguished from these species by the short, bluntly rounded tail with thickened cuticle, and the absence of lateral guiding pieces. L. malagasi sp. n. from Nosi-Komba, Madagascar, closely resembles L. mauritiense Williams, 1959, from which it differs mainly in the very short uterus without differentiated ovejector, and internal tail structure. L. brevicauda sp. n., also from Nosi-Komba, has a very short, blunt tail with the hyaline part mostly comprising more than half the tail length. It is compared with L. chilense Andrassy, 1967, from which it can be separated by the tail shape and vulva position.