www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org NEW RECORDS OF MONONCHIDA: MONONCHIDAE, RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA SOUMI PAUL & VINITA SHARMA Zoological Survey of India, Northern Regional Centre, Kaulagarh Road, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India ABSTRACT Two new records of predatory nematodes categorized under order Mononchida Jairajpuri, 1969 and the family Mononchidae Filipjev, 1934 discovered from Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand, India. Coomansus arvensis (Eroshenko, 1972) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1977 reported for the first time from India after the last time it was originally identified by Eroshenko (1972) and Coomansus venezolanus (Loof, 1964) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982 recorded first time from the state of Uttarakhand and second time from India after Jairajpuri & Khan (1982) located the specimen from Himachal Pradesh. The current findings made an addition in the list of predatory nematodes reported from India and the state of Uttarakhand as well. KEYWORDS: New Records, Coomansus arvensis, Coomansus venezolanus, Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand & India Received: Nov 02, 2016; Accepted: Nov 25, 2016; Published: Nov 29, 2016; Paper Id.: IJZRDEC20162 INTRODUCTION Coomansus arvensis (Eroshenko, 1972) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1977 originally elaborated by Eroshenko (1972) as Clarkus arvensis under the family Mononchidae of carnivorous nematodes Mononchida from the soil in the Primorsk Territory (Far-Eastern USSR). The mentioned specimen close to the type specimen of genus Coomansus, i.e., Coomansus parvus (de Man, 1880) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1977 but differed only in the position of dorsal-tooth apex located in anterior-fourth of buccal-cavity instead of anterior-third and that of the Coomansus venezolanus (Loof, 1964) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982 but varied in the body-length, stoma-size and location of dorsal-tooth apex in the buccal-cavity. Coomansus venezolanus (Loof, 1964) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982 (Mononchida: Mononchidae) initially explained by Loof (1964) as Mononchus venezolanus reported from El Jarillo, Venezuela. After the establishment of new genus Coomansus by Jairajpuri & Khan, 1977 Mononchus venezolanus Loof, 1964 transferred to new genus Coomansus. Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982 reported Coomansus venezolanus from the soil around the roots of grasses from Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh and named it as Coomansus icarus Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982. Vu Thi Thanh Tam, 2016 reported Coomansus venezolanus (Loof, 1964) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982 female and first male specimen of the same from Cao Loc, Lang Son province, Vietnam which corresponded well with the previous description of Coomansus venezolanus (Loof, 1964) Jairajpuri & Khan, 1982. India previously reported 10 species of Coomansus with 5 species identified from the state of Uttarakhand. This current survey added one new species reported from Uttarakhand and another new species reported from India as well as Uttarakhand. Original Article International Journal of Zoology and Research (IJZR) ISSN(P): 2278-8816; ISSN(E): 2278-8824 Vol. 6, Issue 6, Dec 2016, 13-18 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.