Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Cultivation => Cultivation Problems => Topic started by: Lawrence on March 10, 2016, 02:19:09 PM

Title: Nematode ? on Arisarum
Post by: Lawrence on March 10, 2016, 02:19:09 PM

I have found these small 10-15mm opaque nematodes in the surface compost of an Arisarum proboscideum that hasn't quite emerged as yet. Can anyone identify please?
Ps I must apologise for poor quality of photo, it is difficult to focus on such a small gremlin just with an iPhone

Title: Re: Nematode ? on Arisarum
Post by: Maggi Young on March 10, 2016, 02:32:46 PM

Are they alive and  moving? They look a bit more  vegetable than animal to me, Lawrence.

Title: Re: Nematode ? on Arisarum
Post by: Lawrence on March 10, 2016, 04:39:50 PM

Yes Maggi they are alive and moving quite quickly, I'm sure the poor photograph doesn't help, I will see if I can find more and take a better photograph

Title: Re: Nematode ? on Arisarum
Post by: Tristan_He on March 10, 2016, 10:43:57 PM

I don't think these are nematodes Lawrence. Most species are much smaller than this.

A likely candidate is enchytraeid worms, which are small earthworm relatives favouring composts with high organic matter. See here for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UqO7Lbbbk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UqO7Lbbbk)

If you have a magnifying glass or microscope you can confirm this - enchytraeids are anelids so are segmented, whereas nematodes are unsegmented. They also move differently as a result (see Wikipedia articles).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annelid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annelid)

Best, Tristan

Title: Re: Nematode ? on Arisarum
Post by: Lawrence on March 11, 2016, 06:42:44 AM

Thanks Tristan that was very helpful and you are correct they look very similar