''Sudhausia'' is a genus of

nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...

s (roundworms) of the family

Diplogastridae Diplogastridae, formerly Diplogasteridae, are a family of nematodes (roundworms) known from a wide range of habitats, often in commensal or parasitic associations with insects. Description Diplogastrid nematodes are characterized by a distinc ...

. They live in association with

dung beetles Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. Some species of dung beetles can bury dung 250 times their own mass in one night. Many dung beetles, known as ''rollers'', roll dung into round balls, which are used as a food source or breeding cha ...

and are primarily known from Africa. Species of ''Sudhausia'' show a suite of biological features that, together, are unusual for nematodes and animals in general:

hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrate ...

s, which are females in form, mature to produce offspring (eggs and larvae) before they are adults and thus even capable of mating, and their eggs grow in size during

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped *Photographi ...

. Hermaphrodites are also always

live-bearing Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the m ...

, which is unusual for nematodes under non-stressful conditions. The genus is named in honor of Walter Sudhaus, a German nematologist.

Species

*'' Sudhausia aristotokia'', associated with ''

Onthophagus Gazella scarab ('' Onthophagus gazella'') males; note variation in horn size ''Onthophagus'' is a genus of dung beetles in the Onthophagini tribe of the wider scarab beetle family, Scarabaeidae. It is the most species-rich and widespread genus i ...

'' dung beetles in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

*'' Sudhausia crassa'', isolated from dung beetles of ''Onthophagus'' and the tribe Canthonini in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and from ''

Scarabaeus The genus ''Scarabaeus'' consists of a number of Old World dung beetle species, including the "sacred scarab beetle", ''Scarabaeus sacer'' and typical of the tribe Scarabaeini. These beetles feed exclusively on dung, which they accomplish by ...

'' in

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

*'' Sudhausia floridensis'', associated with ''

'' dung beetles in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20721117 Diplogastridae Rhabditida genera