Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek caeno- (recent), rhabditis (rod-like) and Latin elegans (elegant). In 1900, Maupas initially named it Rhabditides elegans. Osche placed it in the subgenus Caenorhabditis in 1952, and in 1955, Dougherty raised Caenorhabditis to the status of genus.
The Pentatomoidea are a superfamily of insects in the Heteroptera suborder of the Hemiptera order. As Hemiptera, they share a common arrangement of sucking mouthparts. The roughly 7000 species under Pentatomoidea are divided into 21 families. Among these are the stink bugs and shield bugs, jewel bugs, giant shield bugs, and burrower bugs.
Cydnidae are a family of pentatomoid bugs, known by common names including burrowing bugs or burrower bugs. As the common name would suggest, many members of the group live a subterranean lifestyle, burrowing into soil using their head and forelegs, only emerging to mate and then laying their eggs in soil. Other members of the group are not burrowers, and live above the soil layer, often in close association with plants. Several species are known as agricultural pests.
Caenorhabditis briggsae is a small nematode, closely related to Caenorhabditis elegans. The differences between the two species are subtle. The male tail in C. briggsae has a slightly different morphology from C. elegans. Other differences include changes in vulval precursor competence and the placement of the excretory duct opening. C. briggsae is frequently used to study the differences between it and the more intimately understood C. elegans, especially at the DNA and protein sequence level. Several mutant strains of C. briggsae have also been isolated that facilitate genetic analysis of this organism. C. briggsae, like C. elegans, is a hermaphrodite. The genome sequence for C. briggsae was determined in 2003.
Caenorhabditis is a genus of nematodes which live in bacteria-rich environments like compost piles, decaying dead animals and rotting fruit. The name comes from Greek: caeno- ; rhabditis = rod-like. In 1900, Maupas initially named the species Rhabditis elegans, Osche placed it in the subgenus Caenorhabditis in 1952, and in 1955, Dougherty raised Caenorhabditis to the status of genus.
Caenorhabditis brenneri is a small nematode, closely related to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Its genome is being sequenced by Washington University in St. Louis Genome Sequencing Center. This species has previously been referred to as C. sp 4 and Caenorhabditis sp. CB5161, but was recently formally described and given its scientific name. This name is in honor of Sydney Brenner, recognizing his pioneering role in starting active research in the field of C. elegans biology and development.
The alae is a protruding ridge that forms longitudinally on many nematodes. In the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode they are present in the L1, dauer and adult stages. The alae are most pronounced during the dauer larval stage and not present in the L2, and L3 C. elegans stages.
DAF-16 is the sole ortholog of the FOXO family of transcription factors in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. It is responsible for activating genes involved in longevity, lipogenesis, heat shock survival and oxidative stress responses. It also protects C.elegans during food deprivation, causing it to transform into a hibernation - like state, known as a Dauer. DAF-16 is notable for being the primary transcription factor required for the profound lifespan extension observed upon mutation of the insulin-like receptor DAF-2. The gene has played a large role in research into longevity and the insulin signalling pathway as it is located in C. elegans, a successful ageing model organism.
Caenorhabditis remanei is a species of nematode found in North America and Europe, and likely lives throughout the temperate world. Several strains have been developed in the laboratory.
The Thyreocoridae are a family of shield bugs, known by common names that include negro bugs or ebony bugs. Historically, a few authors have called this family "Corimelaenidae" (e.g.), but the name Thyreocoridae, published in 1843, has nomenclatural priority over Corimelaenidae, published in 1872. Other classifications have placed them as a subfamily within the broad family Cydnidae.
Pristionchus pacificus is a species of free-living nematodes (roundworms) in the family Diplogastridae. The species has been established as a satellite model organism to Caenorhabditis elegans, with which it shared a common ancestor 200–300 million years ago. The genome of P. pacificus has been fully sequenced, which in combination with other tools for genetic analysis make this species a tractable model in the laboratory, especially for studies of developmental biology.
Parastrachia is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Parastrachiidae. It was established in 1883 by the English entomologist William Lucas Distant. It consists of only two species from Eastern Asia, Parastrachia japonensis and Parastrachia nagaensis. Like other members of the family, they exhibit maternal care of eggs.
Caenorhabditis angaria is a small nematode, in the same genus as the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The name is from the Latin after the tendency to ride weevils. Prior to 2011, the species was referred to as C. sp. 2, C. sp. 3, and C. sp. PS1010. Its genome was sequenced at the California Institute of Technology in 2010. This species is gonochoristic. It has distinct morphology and behavior compared to C. elegans; notably, C. angaria males exhibit a spiral mating behavior. Its divergence from C. elegans is similar to the distance between humans and fish. C. castelli is its closest relative, and the two species can produce F1 hybrids.
Caenorhabditis tropicalis is a species of Caenorhabditis nematodes, belonging to the Elegans super-group and Elegans group within the genus. It is a close relative of C. wallacei.C. tropicalis is collected frequently in tropical South America, Caribbean islands, and various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from rotting fruit, flowers and stems. C. tropicalis was referred to as “C. sp. 11” prior to 2014.
Caenorhabditis afra is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. This gonochoristic (male-female) species was isolated by Matthias Herrmann in Begoro, Ghana, Africa in 2007. Its genome is being sequenced at McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine.
Parastrachia japonensis is a species of true bugs belonging to the family Parastrachiidae. It is one of the two species in the genus, both from Eastern Asia.
Caenorhabditis imperialis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 14. The type isolate was collected in Mo'orea, French Polynesia, and other isolates were collected in Guadeloupe.
Caenorhabditis nouraguensis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 17. The type isolate was collected in Nouragues, French Guiana.
Caenorhabditis yunquensis is a species of nematodes in the genus Caenorhabditis. Prior to 2014, it was referred to as C. sp. 19. The single isolate of this species is from El Yunque, Puerto Rico.
Caenorhabditis sinica, is a species of Caenorhabditis nematodes, belonging to the Elegans super-group and Elegans group within the genus. It is closely related to several species isolated from the lands adjacent to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as to C. briggsae and C. nigoni. The species was known as “C. sp. 5” prior to 2014. C. sinica is known for having very high genetic diversity in its genome. Like other Caenorhabditis species, C. sinica is a ~1mm long roundworm with a transparent cuticle and that eats bacteria. Wild isolate strains of C. sinica have been collected from various rotting plant tissue substrates in temperate and tropical regions throughout China since its initial isolation in 2005.
