Wall Structure of the Mature Female and Cystoid Body of Meloidoderita kirjanovae (Nematoda: Criconematoidea)

The life history of the genus Meloidoderita, as observed under the light microscope, has been described from populations found in Armenia, USSR (3); Maryland, USA (1); and Upper Galilee, Israel (2). The unique feature of this nematode is the transformation of the uterus into a cystoid structure bordered by a rough sclerotized wall. Concomitant with the transformation, the body cuticle disintegrates and is shed. In tlie present paper, we report some scanning electron microscope observations o[ tile surface structure of the adult female