Non-sporulating, straight or slightly curved rods with rounded ends, 0.8–1.2 µm wide and 2.5–6.0 µm long measured in the nematode tissue (TEM). The bacteria multiply by binary or uneven binary division, producing spherical and coccobacillary forms varying in size. Longer cells, up to 9.0 µm, may occur due to the delayed cell division. The cell-wall structure is typical of Gram-negative bacteria. The cell wall includes the cytoplasmic and outer membranes, extensive periplasm, and a peptidoglycan layer adjacent to the cytoplasmic membrane. The peptidoglycan layer is usually reduced and observable only in some cells. Clusters of the bacterial cells in the nematode tissues are surrounded by a shell originating from the host cell membrane.
Preferably inhabits ovaries of adult female, clustering around the developing oocytes and locating inside the epithelial wall cells of the ovaries and with lower density occur in intestinal epithelial cells. Transmitted vertically through nematode generations.
Found in X. pachtaicum collected in the rhizosphere of sour orange trees, Avenida Menendez Pidal, Córdoba, Spain (37.860029, –4.796813). Can be recognized among other existing putative species of this genus by comparison of sequences of 16S rRNA and the concatenated set of housekeeping genes 16S rRNA, atpD, lepA and recA (GenBank sequence numbers) and their unique ecology.