A taxonomic review of the genus Goffartia Hirschmann, 1952 (Rhabditida: Diplogastridae) with a note on the relationship of congeners Author Tahseen, Qudsia Author Mustaqim, Malka text Zootaxa 2015 4034 1 journal volume 10.11646/zootaxa.4034.1.3 bec87bae-d212-4d40-8153-d5b102ac7c82 1175-5326 240726 0264F271-BB57-497A-94B8-F6B037F9D859 Goffartia heteroceri Hirschmann, 1952 ( Figs. 1 C, 2B, 3C, 6) Measurements. Table 1, Description. Adult: Body medium- to large-sized, between 0.7–1 mm in length. Cuticle smooth under LM, without transverse and longitudinal striations. Lateral fields demarcated. Lip region low, rounded to dome-shaped; continuous with the adjoining body; lips fused; labial sensilla slightly raised. Amphidial apertures transversely oval, located at three-fourths of lip width from anterior end. Cheilostom long, cuticularised with diverging anterior and posterior ends; gymnostom and stegostom forming barrel-shaped buccal cavity; gymnostom arched; metastegostom without tooth; a single stomal ring partially proximally inserted into the pharynx. Pharyngeal collar almost one-fourth of stoma length, dorsally extending slightly into pharynx. Pharyngeal corpus muscular, median bulb strongly developed with ‘almond-shaped’ valve plates; anterior pharyngeal part equal to or longer than posterior part; basal bulb oval in shape, well demarcated from isthmus. Nerve ring not shown in the original illustration; secretory-excretory pore not discernible. Tail very long, narrowing into hair-like terminal part. Female: Reproductive system didelphic, amphidelphic with both genital branches symmetrical and largely equal. Vulva pre-equatorial. Uteri occasionally with a pair of eggs. Male: Similar to female in other morphological characters except being smaller. Reproductive system monorchic with a reflexed testis. Tail divided into an anterior conical part and an abruptly narrowing cylindrical part terminating in a whip. Genital papillae 9 pairs with two precloacal and seven postcloacal pairs with a configuration of v1 + v2 / v3 d, v4 ,ad, ( v5 + v6 , v7 ), pd . The genital pairs v1 + v2 are relatively close, subventral; v3 d at the level of cloaca, lateroventral; v4 subventral; ad lateral; v5 and v6 subventral closer than v7 ; pd subdorsal. Phasmids located between ad and v5 . Spicules strong, falcate, about as long as cloacal body diameter, gubernaculum strong, trough-shaped with attenuated proximal end; about 40% of the spicule length. Tail long, filiform narrowing into hair-like terminal part. Locality and habitat. Goffartia heteroceri has been reported from thermal spring ( Meyl 1953 , 1954 ) and potable water ( Zullini 1981 , 1982 ; Volterra et al. 1999 ; associated with Heterocerus Fabricius, 1792 beetles in littoral habitats. The species has been found in Europe ( Germany , Hungary , Lithuania ) and is widespread in Italy , especially in the central regions of the peninsula ( Zullini,1982 ). G. heteroceri lives phoretically on the heterocerid water beetles Heterocerus fenestratus Thunberg, 1784 , H. fusculus Kiesenwetter, 1843 and H. marginatus Fabricius, 1787 and also colonizes Stenolophus teutonus Schrank, 1781 (Carabidae) and Paederus riparius Linnaeus, 1758 (Staphylinidae) . The species is transported by the insect host to new aquatic habitats as the diapausing larvae overwinter in the host body between the folds of abdominal segments ( Steffan 1967 ). Salient characters. The species is characterised by smooth cuticle without transverse and longitudinal striations; lateral fields demarcated; lip region low, rounded to dome-shaped; labial sensilla slightly raised. Amphidial apertures transversely oval, about one-fourth of the corresponding body diameter, or about stoma width; stoma barrel-shaped, unarmed with single ring; pharyngeal corpus having thick lumen and strongly built median bulb; anterior pharyngeal part equal to or longer than posterior part; both genital branches of female gonad almost equal; males with cephalated, arcuate and falcate spicules; gubernaculum 40–50% of the spicule length, troughshaped with tapering proximal and distal ends and genital papillae v5 and v6 closely placed and slightly distant from v7 .