Nematodes

omnivores

fungivores
root feeders
plant parasites

predators
bacteriophages

no stylet / spear

spear

pharyngial glands
overlapping

pharyngial glands
not overlapping

1 gonad

clear median bulb

Pratylenchidae
0,13 ± 0,16
0,29 ± 0,30

1 gonad

2 gonads

tail long
& acute

tail different

broad
annules +
thick body

Criconematidae

different

twice annulated
cuticle

Hemicycliophoridae

body C shaped +
procorpus widens
gently into median bulb +
long stylet

simple spear

curved spear

no muscle sheath

broadened pharyngial part
covered with muscles

filiform tail

Belondiridae

body very slender
3-12 mm

short spear with
long aperture +
two-layered
tail cuticle

Aporcelaimidae

blunt tail +
curved spear

Nordiidae

blunt tail +
almost terminal anus

knobbed spear

Tylencholaimellidae

short spear

clear
mouth
cavity

no clear mouth cavity

tubular
mouth
cavity

different

tail without
spinnret

Rhabditidae
1,33 ± 0,87
0,62 ± 0,32

Pelioditis

tail with
spinneret

teeth

no teeth

head setae

Prismatolaimidae

moveable
teeth

1
dorsal tooth

3 teeth

medial
pharyngeal bulb

Diplogastridae

Tripylidae

vesicles in
base of pharynx

opposite tooth
with small teeth

lip with outgrowths

no outgrowths

mouth cavity:
4 wide +
4 narrow rings

crown

tooth in closed
mouth cavity

Tripylidae

slender body
little structure

Alaimidae

spear inconspicuous &
covered by grains

Diphterophoridae

thin tail

Aphelenchidae
0,35 ± 0,33
0,64 ± 0,67

Tylenchidae

Plectidae
0,39 ± 0,31
0,43 ± 0,42

winged mouth

cirular amphid

Cheilorhabdions
comma-shaped

slit-like
amphid

Cheilorhabdions
c-shaped

Anatonchidae

teeth in bottom of
mouth cavity

teeth in center of
mouth cavity

Mylonchulidae

teeth in lines

teeth irregular

Mononchidae

opposite tooth
with edge

resped edge

plain edge

neither

no caudal
glands

Monhysteridae
0,02 ± 0,03
-

Cephalobidae
5,63 ± 2,8
3,95 ± 1,41

lobed lips

3 lips

6 lips

small body +
pharynx corpus
spool-shaped

finely forked
lip ornaments

conspicuously
forked / fringed
lip ornaments

Terato-
cephalidae

0,03 ± 0,04
-

annulated
cuticle

punctuated
cuticle

Trichodoridae

Diphterophoridae

Tylenchidae

pharyngeal glands
overlap dorsally

no tip

ventrally

tiny tail tip

tiny tail tip

Aphelenchoide
0,27 ± 0,29
0,26 ± 0,29

Paratylenchidae
0,17 ± 0,05
0,27 ± 0,17

Tylenchidae
0,42 ± 0,23
0,62 ± 0,21

long stylet

short stylet

longitudinal
grooves

different

flapped vulva

cuticula annulated
& folded

Dolichodoridae
0,3 ± 0,18
0,3 ± 0,12

Longidoridae

Dorylaimidae

needle tail tip +
double spear guiding tube

conical tail +
ventral bent

long female tail +
single spear
guiding tube

Panagrolaimidae
1,08 ± 0,51
0,84 ± 0,45

short spear