Males and females of Romanomermis culicivorax were subjected to desiccation in four different ways viz. in sand-filled watch glasses, in water drops on glass slides, slow dehydration in paraffin oil, and in 0% RH atmosphere in a desiccator. Of the two sexes, males showed greater tolerance to water stress than females. Males tended to coil up at their posterior end. Besides anterior-posterior body contraction, transverse and longitudinal folding of body cuticle also occurred. The species cannot be regarded as an anhydrobiotic nematode. In moist sand, males were found to survive for as long as 31 months.
