Kingdom Animalia Class Secernentea Family Rhabditidae Rank Species | Phylum Nematoda Order Rhabditida Genus Caenorhabditis | |
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Similar Rhabditidae, Pristionchus, Pristionchus pacificus, Caenorhabditis briggsae, Rhynchophorus palmarum | ||
Caenorhabditis angaria is a small nematode, closely related to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The name is from the Latin (angarius- mounted courier) 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 gonochoristic species is found in the Angaria group of the Drosophilae super-group. 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.
C. angaria was isolated in Trinidad and Florida, found in association with palm and sugarcane weevils, Rhynchophorus palmarum and Metamasius hemipterus. Dauer larvae wave and are transported by adult weevils. The association is probably phoretic, although C. angaria can develop on dead weevils.