Systematic Parasitology

New species and new records of species of Cloacina von Linstow, 1898 (Nematoda: Strongylida) parasitic in the western scrub wallaby, Notamacropus irma (Jourdan) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) from Western Australia Abstract The helminth parasites of the western scrub wallaby or black-glove wallaby, Notamacropus irma (Jourdan) which occurs in Western Australia are relatively poorly documented. Six new species of the strongyloid genus Cloacina von Linstow, 1898 (Strongylida: Chabertiidae) are described namely C. asymmetrica n. sp., C. brazellei n. sp., C. harriganae n. sp., C. hobbsi n. sp., C. middletoni n. sp. and C. woodi n. sp. A redescription of C. laius Beveridge, 1999 from the same host species is included. Molecular sequence data (ITS1 and ITS2 ribosomal DNA) were obtained for C. asymmetrica, C. brazellei, C. hobbsi, C. middletoni and from the previously described species C. themis Beveridge, 1998 occurring in the same host species. Phylogenetically, C. asymmetrica, C. hobbsi and C. middletoni formed a distinct clade, suggesting the possibility of within-host speciation. Cloacina themis clustered with a group of morphologically distinctive species in a separate clade and C. brazellei clustered in a third clade but with poor support. This pattern of congeners in a single host species occurring in multiple clades mirrors the situation in other kangaroos and wallabies. Species of Cloacina from N. irma reported thus far therefore consist of a series of species found only in this host, with two species (C. brazellei and C. laius) shared with the sympatric macropodid Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard).

Two new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) in the H . ( Rhipistoma ) spinulosa subgroup, parasites of carnivores and hedgehogs in Africa Abstract Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) princeps n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) and H. (R.) camicasi n. sp. are described based on adults. Adults of H. princeps n. sp. were mostly collected from various carnivores (Carnivora: Canidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae) and hedgehogs (Erinaceomorpha: Erinaceidae); few specimens were found on hare (Lagomorpha: Leporidae), various rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) and an antelope (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Sudan. Few adults of H. princeps n. sp. were reared from nymphs collected on rodents (Rodentia: Muridae) and shrew (Soricomorpha: Soricidae). Adults of H. camicasi n. sp. were also mostly collected from various carnivores (Carnivora: Canidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae) and hedgehogs (Erinaceomorpha: Erinaceidae); few specimens were found on different rodents (Rodentia: Muridae, Nesomyidae, Sciuridae), hare (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) and bushbaby (Primates: Galagidae) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Togo. Males and females of both species can be differentiated from each other and other H. spinulosa-like ticks by their size, pattern of punctations on conscutum/scutum, size of setae, shape of genital structures, size and shape of spiracular plates, dorsal cornua, posterodorsal and posteroventral spurs on palpal segments II and spur on coxae.

New species of Dactylogyridae Bychowsky, 1933 infecting the gills of Myloplus schomburgkii (Jardine) and Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier) in the Peruvian Amazon Abstract Four new dactylogyrid species are described, three species (Anacanthorus camposbacae n. sp., Anacanthorus carmenrosae n. sp. and Notozothecium nanayensis n. sp.) from the gills of Myloplus schomburgkii (Jardine), captured in the River Nanay, Iquitos, Peru, and one new species (Mymarothecium iiapensis n. sp.) from the gills of Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier) in a fish pond in Iquitos, Peru. Anacanthorus camposbacae n. sp. differs from its congeners by possessing the accessory piece with a sub-medial branch having tentacle-like extensions. Anacanthorus carmenrosae n. sp. is characterised by possessing a Y-shaped accessory piece. Notozothecium nanayensis n. sp. differs from its congeners by the shape of both anchors and the presence of a short anteromedial triangular process in the ventral bar and by possessing an accessory piece with spoon-shaped proximal end. Mymarothecium iiapensis n. sp. is characterised by presenting a wrench-tool-shaped accessory piece and by possessing both anchors with conspicuous fold on the superficial roots.

Eimeria aegoliusia n. sp. (Sporozoa: Eimeriidae) from the northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus (Gmelin) (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in Mexico Abstract A new coccidian species (Chromista: Sporozoa: Eimeriidae) collected from the northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus (Gmelin) is reported from Mexico. Eimeria aegoliusia n. sp. has subspherical oöcysts, with smooth, bi-layered wall. Micropyle and oöcyst residuum are both absent and a polar granule is present. To date, eight species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 have been described from strigiform birds. Mean dimensions of sporulated oöcysts (23.7 × 22.4 µm) and sporocysts (12.8 × 8.3 µm) appear to be considerably smaller than those from other Eimeria spp. with owl definitive hosts: E. atheni Chauhan & Jain, 1979; E. megabubonis Upton, Campbell, Weigel & McKown, 1990; E. spenotytoi Carini, 1939; E. strigis Kutzer, 1963; and E. varia Upton, Campbell, Weigel & McKown. Dimensions of these sporulated oöcysts appear to be larger than those in E. bemrickiAverbeck, Cooney, Guarnera, Redig & Stromberg, 1998. The presence of polar granules and their number allowed differentiation from E. bubonis Cawthorn & Stockdale, 1981 and E. nycteae Volf, Koudela & Modry, 1999. This is the first description of an eimeriid coccidian infecting A. acadicus.

Description of a new species of Dermacentor Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) from Laos and Thailand Abstract Dermacentor laothaiensis n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) is described based on adults ex wild boar and vegetation from Laos and Thailand. Adults of D. laothaiensis n. sp. are similar to those of D. bellulus (Schulze, 1935) and D. steini (Schulze, 1933) but can be distinguished by the conscutum shape, colour pattern of the conscutum and scutum, the density of punctations on the pseudoscutum and scutum and the shape of female genital structures.

Walteriella n. g. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of pimelodid catfishes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the Peruvian Amazonia based on morphological and molecular data Abstract On the basis of morphological and molecular data, Walteriella n. g. is proposed to accommodate the dactylogyrid parasites Walteriella conica n. sp. (type-species) from the gills of Platynematichthys notatus (Jardine) (type-host) and Brachyplatystoma juruense (Boulenger), and Walteriella ophiocirrus n. sp. from the gills of Platystomatichthys sturio (Kner) (type-host), all fish host belonging to the Pimelodidae collected in the Peruvian Amazonia. Species of the new genus are distinguished from other dactylogyrids infecting Neotropical catfishes by the presence of a folded germarium, a male copulatory organ basally articulated to the accessory piece, a cone-shaped seminal receptacle, and ventral and dorsal bars with projections directed anteriorly. Both species of the new genus form a strongly supported lineage closely related to Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 13, a parasite of Hypophthalmus edentatus Spix & Agassiz (Pimelodidae) in an analysis of partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene. The clade formed by species of Walteriella n. g. and Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 13 is closely related to other dactylogyrids infecting pimelodid catfishes. Based on the morphology of its haptoral elements and copulatory complex, the species Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 13 is morphologically different from species of Walteriella n. g., but its generic assignment is still unclear.

A new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1885 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Sciurinae: Sciurini) from Oklahoma, USA Abstract A new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1885 is described from an eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from McCurtain County, Oklahoma, USA. Oöcysts of Eimeria lukfataensis n. sp. are ellipsoidal with a rough pitted bi-layered wall, measure 23.8 × 14.9 µm, and have a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.6; a micropyle is absent but an oöcyst residuum and polar granule(s) are present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal and measure 12.5 × 6.1 µm, L/W 2.0; Stieda and sub-Stieda bodies are present, but para-Stieda body is absent. The sporocyst residuum is composed of small indistinct granules along the edge or in the center of the sporocyst. This is the first species of coccidian reported from S. carolinensis from Oklahoma and only the fourth species from the sciurid tribe Sciurini with oöcysts possessing an oöcyst residuum.

Monogeneans of the catfish Pimelodus blochii Valenciennes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the Brazilian Amazon, with a description of a new species of Ameloblastella Kritsky, Mendoza-Franco & Scholz, 2000 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) Abstract Ameloblastella amazonica n. sp. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) collected on the gills of Pimelodus blochii Valenciennes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from Rivers Acre and Iaco, State of Acre (Brazil) is described. The new species differs from the congeners mainly by the morphology of the dorsal bar, i.e. slightly U-shaped bearing a posteriorly directed flap, arising from the anterior edge of its middle third. The most morphologically similar congeners, A. paranaensis (França, Isaac, Pavanelli & Takemoto, 2003) and A. satoi Monteiro, Kritsky & Brasil-Sato, 2010, resemble A. amazonica n. sp. regarding the general structure of the copulatory complex; however, besides other features, they also differ from the new species because their hooks are similar in size (vs hooks with three different sizes). In addition to the dorsal bar lacking a flap, A. amazonica n. sp. can be differentiated from all congeners based on the combination of the following features: size of hooks (one or two different sizes), shape of the dorsal bar (other than slightly U-shaped), anchor points largely passing the level of superficial root (vs not or slightly passing it), number of MCO rings (other than 3–4) and structure of the articulation between the MCO base and the accessory piece (other than thick, medium-sized, smooth and tubular). Demidospermus leptosynophallus Kritsky & Gutierrez, 1998 and Scleroductus yuncensi Jara & Cone, 1989 were also found infesting P. blochii, both representing new host and locality records.

Redescription of Cruzia americana Maplestone, 1930 (Nematoda: Kathlaniidae) a parasite of Didelphis virginiana (Kerr) (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in the USA Abstract Cruzia americana Maplestone, 1930 is a common nematode parasite of opossums in North America. However, our present knowledge on the morphology of this species is still limited and its validity is uncertain. In the present study, specimens of C. americana collected from the type-host Didelphis virginiana (Kerr) (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in the USA were studied using light microscopy and, for the first time, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM observations revealed the internal structures of the pharynx of C. americana and the presence of pharyngeal lamellae rather than pharyngeal teeth/tooth-like structures. In addition, the detailed morphology of the lips, vulva, eggs and phasmids in females and the caudal papillae in males are also reported for the first time.

Gyrodactylus lilianae n. sp. (Polyonchoinea: Gyrodactylidae) from Rhamdia quelen (Quoy & Gaimard) (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from southern Brazil: a potential nuisance for aquaculture Abstract Species of Monogenoidea (Platyhelminthes) are in its majority ectoparasites of marine and freshwater fishes. Many species of the group can promote great economic losses to fish production systems worldwide. The present study describes a new species, Gyrodactylus lilianae n. sp., from the body surface, fins and barbels of a captive South American catfish, Rhamdia quelen (Quoy & Gaimard) (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae) from southern Brazil. The new species is morphologically similar to Neotropical species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 from Siluriformes from which it differs most conspicuously by the morphology of the hook with a pronounced convex heel, somewhat depressed, slightly pointed toe, and a small distal bulb. The identity of the new species is also strongly supported by phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 mitochondrial gene (cox2) sequences and the rDNA fragment ITS1-5.8-ITS2. Infections with the new species in captive R. quelen juveniles were considered the main causative agent of observed mortalities. Tissue damage caused by G. lilianae n. sp. apparently facilitated the occurrence of secondary infections by protists (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) and bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila).