Allantonematidae is a family of insect-parasitic nematodes from the order Tylenchida. Allantonematid nematodes infect a variety of insects including beetles, butterflies, flies, thrips, ants, and more. For instance, the nematode ''
Howardula aoronymphium
''Howardula aoronymphium'' is a species of nematode that infects specialist mushroom-feeding fruit flies such as ''Drosophila falleni'' and ''Drosophila neotestacea''. Mated female nematodes pierce the fly larva cuticle and take up residence in th ...
'' parasitizes
mushroom-feeding fruit flies,
''
Formicitylenchus oregonensis'' parasitizes
carpenter ants
Carpenter ants (''Camponotus'' spp.) are large () ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world.
They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles or jaws, preferably in dead, damp wood. However, unl ...
, and ''
Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi
''Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi'' (Nematoda: Allantonematidae) is a free-living nematode parasite that infects coffee berry borers (''Hypothenemus hampei''), small beetles that harm coffee crops worldwide. This nematode has been shown to inter ...
'' parasitizes a pest of coffee beans, the
coffee berry borer.
Allantonematid nematodes infect insect larvae by piercing through the cuticle, after which they reside in the insect blood. There they develop through multiple juvenile stages before being shed out the anus or reproductive tracts. Mating typically occurs external to the insect host, after which mated female nematodes infect new hosts.
Systematics
There are 2 subfamilies of Allantonematids that contain about 150 species in at least 16 genera. These include:
*Subfamily
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
* Subfamily
**
**
**
**
* Subfamily not-yet classified
**
The systematics of the Allantonematidae are complicated due to various re-classifications of Allantonematid genera first classified by morphological characters. As a result, the family Allantonematidae is likely paraphyletic, evidenced by molecular study.
See also
* ''
Howardula aoronymphium
''Howardula aoronymphium'' is a species of nematode that infects specialist mushroom-feeding fruit flies such as ''Drosophila falleni'' and ''Drosophila neotestacea''. Mated female nematodes pierce the fly larva cuticle and take up residence in th ...
''
* ''
Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi
''Metaparasitylenchus hypothenemi'' (Nematoda: Allantonematidae) is a free-living nematode parasite that infects coffee berry borers (''Hypothenemus hampei''), small beetles that harm coffee crops worldwide. This nematode has been shown to inter ...
''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4033761