''Mesorhabditis'' is a genus of

nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...

s. Species in the genus ''Mesorhabditis'' exhibit an unusual form of

parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek + ) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which the embryo develops directly from an egg without need for fertilization. In animals, parthenogenesis means the development of an embryo from an unfertiliz ...

, in which sperm-producing males copulate with females, but the sperm do not fuse with the ovum. Contact with the sperm is essential for the ovum to begin dividing, but because there is no fusion of the cells, the male contributes no genetic material to the offspring, which are essentially clones of the female.

References

* Problems in New Zealand mushroom production associated with bacterial feeding nematodes (Mesorhabditis sp.). FR Sanderson, JW Marshall, GE Ovenden, HM Stengs - … , 1981/edited by NG Nair, AD …, 1981 * Systematik, Phylogenie und Okologie der holzbewohnenden Nematoden Gruppe Rhabditis (Mesorhabditis) und das Problem" geschlechtsbezogener" … W Sudhaus, 1978 Rhabditidae Rhabditida genera {{Chromadorea-stub