Spiral nematode

Heliocotylenchus spp.

They are among the most common parasitic nematodes of plants.

The female is wormlike and straight or spiral-shaped. The male is similar, but with a smaller anterior end. The body may take a spiral shape after death, if not in life. This habitus mortis gives the nematodes their common name. Males can be rare, suggesting the nematode often reproduces by parthenogenesis.