# Morphological Ambiguity between Chambersiella Cobb, 1920, and Geraldius Sanwal, 1971: A Taxonomic Dilemma Solved through a Note from N. A. Cobb

## TL;DR

This paper resolves a taxonomic confusion between two nearly identical nematode genera by reevaluating their distinguishing features and historical records.

## Contribution

The paper proposes synonymizing Geraldius with Chambersiella based on new archival evidence and field observations.

## Key findings

- Field surveys found no monodelphic specimens, contradicting the original diagnosis of Chambersiella.
- Archival notes from N. A. Cobb support synonymizing Geraldius with Chambersiella.
- Morphological evidence consistently aligns with the revised classification.

## Abstract

The genera Chambersiella and Geraldius (Nematoda) are nearly morphologically identical, differing primarily in female ovary number: Chambersiella was described as monodelphic, while Geraldius was diagnosed as didelphic. This note reevaluates the validity of that distinction, incorporating original descriptions and a previously overlooked archival note from N. A. Cobb. Field observations failed to recover monodelphic specimens, even in type localities. We propose synonymizing Geraldius with Chambersiella, supported by Cobb’s archived observations and consistent morphological evidence.