Rhabditis (Oscheius) pheropsophi n. sp. (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae).

Rhabditis (Oscheius) pheropsophi n. sp., associated with cadavers of the bombardier beetle, Pheropsophus aequinoctialis, is described from material collected in Brazil. Mean body length of the female is 1,217 mum, of the male 872 mum, and of the dauer juvenile 568 mum. The female has six lips with one papilla on each lateral lip and two on each sublateral lip; stoma wall thickened dorsally, metarhabdions with warts, excretory pore near base of esophagus, tail long (c = 8), and phasmids prominent, protruding on scanning electron microscope preparations. The male has 10 pairs of bursal ribs, with the terminal pair considerably smaller than the others; spicules fused distally two-thirds of their length. The new species can be distinguished from other members of the Dolichura-group by its fused spicules.