The sheath nematodes belonging to the superfamily Hemicycliophoroidea are unique amongst all plant parasitic nematodes known to man due to the presence of an extra cuticular covering or sheath over the inner cuticle and body of all juvenile and adult life stages. These plant-parasitic nematodes include species of agricultural and quarantine importance.
In Systematics of the Sheath Nematodes of the Superfamily Hemicycliophoroidea John Chitambar and Sergei Subbotin provide a detailed review of the taxonomy and diagnosis of the superfamily, its member genera and 153 related species based on their morphological and molecular analyses, as well as a further understanding of the relationships within the superfamily using molecular phylogenetics. In addition, Chitambar and Subbotin also give detailed information on the global distribution, biology, host-parasite relationships and ecology of sheath nematodes.