The Dorylaimida represent a large and very important group of soil and freshwater inhabiting nematodes of great agricultural importance. Both in appearance and mode of life they represent a wide diversity and as a consequence the number of species and higher taxa that have been described hitherto is the highest within Nematoda. The identification of species, genera, families, etc. of Dorylaimida is very difficult and at times causes problems for the specialist too. The large number of species on the one hand and often the meagre descriptions on the other make even well-known taxonomists to look at Dorylaimida with great hesitation and desperation.
M. Shamim Jairajpuri and Wasim Ahmad have undertaken a great task in summarizing, evaluating and systematizing all the knowledge that has been published so far.