Polystomatidae (Monogenea) of African Anura: Polystoma dawiekoki n. sp. parasitic in Ptychadena anchietae (Bocage)

Polystoma dawiekoki n. sp. is described as a new species of the Polystomatidae parasitic in the urinary bladder of the plain grass frog Ptychadena anchietae. This parasite was collected at Mkuze town and Mkuze Game Reserve in northern Kwazulu-Natal Province, in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, and at Bulwa in Tanga Province, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. It is distinguished from other African Polystoma species by a combination of characters, including the body size, size and shape of marginal hooklets and the haptor length to body length ratio. The presence of adult, as well as subadult, parasites in the same individuals, as is known for Eupolystoma, represents a significant evolutionary departure from the pattern of transmission typical of Polystoma in most of the other anuran hosts.     

Polystomatidae (Monogenea) of Anura in southern Africa: Polystoma testimagna n. sp. parasitic in Strongylopus f. fasciatus (Smith, 1849)

Polystoma testimagna n. sp. is described as a new species of the Polystomatidae, parasitic in the urinary bladder of the striped stream frog Strongylopus f. fasciatus collected in the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, Natal, South Africa. Parasite prevalence was found to be 50.0% and 27.7% in two successive years, and the mean intensity was 1.5 and 1.6, respectively. The species occurs together with another Polystoma species in the same water body and within one kilometre from a third species. Aspects of host specificity are discussed and data on the ecology and distribution of the host presented.     

Origin and evolution of African Polystoma (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) assessed by molecular methods

Among Polystomatidae (Monogenea), the genus Polystoma, which mainly infests neobatrachian hosts, is the most diverse and occurs principally in Africa, from where half the species have been reported. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that this genus originated in South America, and later colonised Eurasia and Africa. No mention was made on dispersal corridors between Europe and Africa or of the origin of the African Polystoma radiation. Therefore, a molecular phylogeny was inferred from ITS1 sequences of 21 taxa comprising two species from America, seven representatives from Europe and 12 from Africa. The topology of the phylogenetic tree reveals that a single event of colonisation took place from Europe to Africa and that the putative host carrying along the ancestral polystome is to be found among ancestral pelobatids. Percentage divergences estimates suggest that some presumably distinct vesicular species in unrelated South African anurans and some neotenic forms found in several distinct hosts in Ivory Coast, could, in fact, belong to two single polystome species parasitising divergent hosts. Two main factors are identified that may explain the diversity of African polystomes: (i), we propose that following some degree of generalism, at least during the juvenile stages of both hosts and parasites, distinctive larval behaviour of polystomes engenders isolation between parasite populations that precludes sympatric speciations; (ii), cospeciation events between Ptychadena hosts and their parasites are another factor of diversification of Polystoma on the African continent. Finally, we discuss the systematic status of the Madagascan parasite Metapolystoma, as well as the colonisation of Madagascar by the host Ptychadena mascareniensis.     

Polystomatidae (Monogenea) of southern African Anura: Polystoma claudecombesi n. sp. parasitic in Rana angolensis Bocage

Polystoma claudecombesi is described as a new species of the Polystomatidae (Monogenea) parasitic in the urinary bladder of the anuran host Rana angolensis. This parasite was collected at three localities in South Africa, namely Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve in Natal province, Witsieshoek Mountain Resort in the north-eastern Orange Free State and Bovenste Oog in the province of Transvaal. It is the largest African polystome described to date. Prevalence at Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve was 4.0% and 2.7% in two successive years, with a mean intensity of 1.0 (n=25 and 36, respectively). One of the two R. angolensis from Witsieshoek was infected with 5 parasites. The diversity and distribution of southern African polystomes is also discussed.     

Three species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skrjabinelazia</Emphasis> Sypliaxov, 1930 (Nematoda: Seuratidae) parasitic in Gekkonidae and Lacertidae from South Africa,Europe and Australia

Skrjabinelazia Sypliaxov, 1930 comprises 10 species distinguished by several characters typical of the genus including, among the most important, the presence/absence of spicules, cuticle ornamentation and vesicles, head-shape, the presence/absence of a leaflet crown in the buccal cavity, female tail-shape and male cone-shape. The three samples studied are new species: S. boomkeri n. sp., a parasite of Pachydactylus turneri, Gekkonidae, from South Africa (Klaserie Reserve); S. vozae n. sp., a parasite of Lacerta vivipara, Lacertidae, from France (Cévennes), which is close to two lacertid parasites, S. taurica Sypliaxov, 1930 and L. hoffmanni Li, 1934, respectively from the Crimea and North China (Peking); and S. mawsangelae n. sp. (male unknown), a parasite of Christinus marmoratus, Gekkonidae, from Australia (Pearson Island), which is, surprisingly, distinct from Skrjabinelazia sp. of Angel & Mawson (1968) from the same host in another region (North of Adelaide) of South Australia. Two main groups are distinguished in Skrjabinelazia: the species with spicules which are parasitic in the Lacertidae, and the species with a gubernaculum only which are parasitic in the Gekkonidae. The unique species described from the Iguanidae, S. intermedia (Freitas, 1940) from Brazil (Para), also without spicules, seems to be derived from gekkonid parasites, as it also has an evolved oesophagus with a glandular region, unlike the simple oesophagus seen in the larval stages of Skrjabinelazia.     

Morphology and Phylogenetic Position of Two New Gregarine Species (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinorida) Parasitizing the Lubber Grasshopper Taeniopoda centurio (Drury, 1770) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Romaleidae) in Mexico

Eugregarines are understudied apicomplexan parasites of invertebrates inhabiting marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Most currently known terrestrial eugregarines have been described parasitizing the gut from less than 1% of total insect diversity, with a high likelihood that the remaining insect species are infected. Eugregarine diversity in orthopterans (grasshoppers, locusts, katydids, and crickets) is still little known. We carried out a survey of the eugregarines parasitizing the Mexican lubber grasshopper, Taeniopoda centurio, an endemic species to the northwest of Mexico. We described two new eugregarine species from the gut of the host: Amoebogregarina taeniopoda n. sp. and Quadruspinospora mexicana n. sp. Both species are morphologically dissimilar in their life‐cycle stages. Our SSU rDNA phylogenetic analysis showed that both species are phylogenetically distant to each other, even though they parasitize the same host. Amoebogregarina taeniopoda n. sp. clustered within the clade Gregarinoidea, being closely related to Amoebogregarina nigra from the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis. Quadruspinospora mexicana n. sp. clustered within the clade Actinocephaloidea and grouped with Prismatospora evansi, a parasite from dragonfly naiads. Amoebogregarina taeniopoda n. sp. and Q. mexicana n. sp. represent the first record of eugregarines found to infect a species of the family Romaleidae.     

Polystoma macrocnemis n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from the Iranian longlegged wood frog Rana macrocnemis (Ranidae) in Turkey

Polystoma macrocnemis n. sp. (Polystomatidae) is described from the urinary bladder of Rana macrocnemis (Ranidae) in Turkey. Its general morphology is similar to that of other members of the genus, but it is distinguished from closely related species by numerical parameters of the hamuli and also by its host species and geographical range.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myzostoma fuscomaculatum</Emphasis> (Myzostomida), a new myzostome species from False Bay,South Africa

A new myzostome species, described here as Myzostoma fuscomaculatum n. sp. was collected on Tropiometra carinata in False Bay (South Africa), during a survey of symbionts associated with comatulid crinoid species. M. fuscomaculatum n. sp. occurred only on T. carinata and not on the more common crinoid, Comanthus wahlbergi. It infested 61.7% of the 120 host specimens collected, of which 64.9% (48 specimens) hosted more than one individual (maximum of 32). M. fuscomaculatum n. sp. was always located on the host’s arms and pinnules and was cryptically coloured, closely matching the colour pattern of the host. This is the first record of myzostomes from the cool temperate waters of South Africa’s Atlantic coast. The new species is morphologically close to M. gopalai Subramaniam, 1938, collected on T. encrinus in Madras Harbour. M. fuscomaculatum n. sp. differs from M. gopalai in lacking marginal cirri at the adult stage, the presence of three pairs of digestive diverticula, by the position of its lateral organs and by the shape of the manubrium. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 18S and 16S rDNA placed M. fuscomaculatum n. sp. into a clade including Hypomyzostoma, Myzostoma and Mesomyzostoma species. Handling editor: K. Martens Déborah Lanterbecq and Tessa Hempson contributed equally to this work.     

Nematodes found in Nile crocodiles in the Kruger National Park,South Africa,with redescriptions of Multicaecum agile (Wedl, 1861) (Heterocheilidae) and Camallanus kaapstaadi Southwell & Kirshner, 1937 (Camallanidae)

Sixteen Nile crocodiles were collected in the Kruger National Park, South Africa and vicinity during 2010 and 2011. A total of 11 nematode species representing six families were recovered. Heterocheilids were the dominant group, comprising five species, with Dujardinascaris madagascariensis (Chabaud & Caballero, 1966) being the most prevalent (75%), followed by Ingwenascaris sprenti Junker & Mutafchiev, 2017 (68.8%), which was also the second most numerous nematode. While less prevalent (31.3%), Typhlophoros kwenae Junker & Mutafchiev, 2017 was the most abundant species. Micropleura huchzermeyeri Junker & Mutafchiev, 2017 (Micropleuridae) was collected from five crocodiles and Crocodylocapillaria sp. (Capillariidae) occurred in a single host. Three nematodes, Camallanus kaapstaadi Southwell & Kirshner, 1937, Spirocamallanus sp. (both Camallanidae) and Ascarophis sp. (Cystidicolidae), are considered accidental infections, likely ingested with the hosts’ prey. Our findings of D. dujardini (Travassos, 1920), D. madagascariensis and Multicaecum agile (Wedl, 1861) in South Africa constitute new geographical records. Crocodylocapillaria sp. represents a new host and geographical record, while T. kwenae, I. sprenti and M. huchzermeyeri have been described as new species during the course of this survey. Multicaecum agile is here redescribed based on light and scanning electron microscopy. Previously undescribed morphological characters of C. kaapstaadi, typically a parasite of Xenopus spp. (Amphibia: Pipidae), but here found in two Nile crocodiles, are also presented.

     

The Indian triatomine genus Linshcosteus (Reduviidae)

The Indian genus Linshcosteus is revised and a key provided to the three species L.carnifex Distant; L.confumus sp.n.; L.costalis sp.n. One or both of the new species described here is the host of the egg parasite Gryon linshcostei Masner (Scelionidae) which may be used in the biological control of the Triatoma vectors of Chagas' disease in South America.     

Bomolochus peruensis n. sp. (Copepoda: Bomolochidae), a parasite of sciaenid fishes from the Peruvian coast

Bomolochus peruensis n. sp., a parasite of the sciaenid fishes Menticirrhus ophicephalus and Sciaena deliciosa from the central Peruvian coast, is described and illustrated. The new taxon differs from all other Bomolochus species in a combination of characteristics of leg 2, leg 4 and leg 6 and by the presence of spinules on the ventral surface of the last abdominal segment only. This is the first record of Bomolochus from South America.     

Three new species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905 (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) parasitic in Ptychadena spp. (Amphibia: Anura: Ptychadenidae) and an identification key to Rhabdias spp. from Afrotropical anurans

Three new species of lung-dwelling nematodes are described from the frogs Ptychadena anchietae (Bocage), P. oxyrhynchus (Smith), and P. uzungwensis (Loveridge) in southern Africa. All three species are medium-sized species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905, with the thick-walled buccal capsules measuring 11–13 μm × 6–11 μm, consisting of longer anterior and shorter posterior parts. Rhabdias athos n. sp. and R. porthos n. sp. are characterised by the rounded anterior end of the body and the presence of short dilatation of the oesophagus at its mid-length. Rhabdias porthos n. sp. has distinct excretory glands which are absent in two other species. Rhabdias aramis n. sp. is characterised by the truncated anterior end and the slight constriction of the oesophagus at the level of its mid-length. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS-28S rDNA sequences placed R. aramis n. sp. in the clade consisting of R. engelbrechti Kuzmin et al., 2017 from South Africa and Eurasian Rhabdias spp., while R. athos n. sp. and R. porthos n. sp. formed a sister group to that clade. Identification key to 14 Rhabdias spp. parasitic in anuran amphibians from the Afrotropical Realm is provided.     

Nine new species of Dasineura (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from flowers of Australian Acacia (Mimosaceae)

Abstract. Thirteen species of Australian acacias are invasive plants in agricultural and native vegetation areas of South Africa. Biological control programmes for Australian acacias in South Africa have been implemented and are aimed at suppressing reproductive vigour and, in some cases, vegetative growth of these weeds. Gall-forming midges are under consideration as potential biological control agents for invasive acacias in South Africa. Entomological surveys in southern Australia found a diverse cecidomyiid fauna associated with the buds, flowers and fruits of Acacia species. Nine new Dasineura species are described and two species, D. acaciaelongifoliae (Skuse) and D. dielsi Rübsaamen, are redescribed. The newly described taxa are D. fistulosa sp.n. , D. furcata sp.n. , D. glauca sp.n. , D. glomerata sp.n. , D. oldfieldii sp.n. , D. oshanesii sp.n. , D. pilifera sp.n. , D. rubiformis sp.n. and D. sulcata sp.n. All eleven species induce galls on ovaries and prevent the formation of fruit. Two general types of gall are caused. Type A comprises woody, tubular galls with larvae living inside ovaries (D. acaciaelongifoliae, D. dielsi, D. fistulosa, D. furcata, D. glauca, D. glomerata, D. oldfieldii). Type B includes soft-tissued, globose galls that belong to four subtypes: inflated, baglike, hairy galls with larvae living between ovaries (D. pilifera); pyriform, pubescent swellings with larvae living inside ovaries (D. rubiformis); globose, hairy, swellings with larvae living superficially on ovaries in ovoid chambers (D. oshanesii); and inconspicuous, glabrous swellings with larvae living superficially on ovaries in shallow groovelike chambers (D. sulcata). The gall types are associated with a particular pupation pattern. In type A galls, larvae pupate within larval chambers in galls, whereas in type B galls pupation takes place between ovaries in galls or in the soil beneath the host tree. Gall midges responsible for the same general gall type are morphologically related and differ from species causing the other gall type. Phylogenetic analysis of a 410 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene supports the division of the gall midge species into two groups except for D. sulcata, which appears as a subgroup of the group causing type A galls. The interspecific divergence values in group A species were between 0.5 and 3.9% with intraspecific divergence estimates of 0–0.2%. Gall midges causing type B galls had interspecific divergence values of 4.6–7.3% and intraspecific divergence values of 0–3.7%. Closely related biology and morphology together with low cytochrome b divergence estimates suggest a more recent speciation in group A when compared with species of group B. Dasineura rubiformis and D. dielsi are proposed as potential biological control agents for Acacia mearnsii De Wild. and Acacia cyclops A. Cunn. ex G. Don, respectively, in South Africa due to their narrow host range and ability to form high population densities that reduce seed formation. Both species produce galls with low biomass, which makes them compatible with commercial exploitation of their host species in Africa.     

Polystomatidae (Monogenea) of Southern African Anura: Eupolystoma vanasi n. sp. parasitic in Schismaderma carens (Smith)

Eupolystoma vanasi is described as a new species of the Polystomatidae parasitic in the urinary bladder of Schismaderma carens in Northern Province and KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. This is the third Eupolystoma species described from Africa and the first polystomatid from Schismaderma, an anuran genus that is primitive with respect to the other African bufonids in which Eupolystoma has been recorded. The species is distinguished by body size (this is the largest Eupolystoma known; mean length of adults 6 mm), by genital spine number (4 in comparison with 6-9 in other species), marginal hooklet length (greater than in other African species), and by the small size of the ovary and testis. In a sample of 27 toads, 37% were infected with up to 130 parasites per host (mean intensity 37). Worm burdens of this magnitude are exceptional amongst polystomatids in general but are characteristic of Eupolystoma, where there may be repeated re-infection of adult hosts and, uniquely, a direct, internal cycle of auto-infection.     

The genusOligolecithus Vercammen-Grandjean (Digenea: Telorchiidae) fromXenopus spp. (Anura: Pipidae), with a description ofO. siluranae n. sp. fromX. tropicalis (Gray) in Ghana

The taxonomy, host range and geographical distribution ofOligolecithus Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960, a genus of telorchiid digeneans fromXenopus spp. in Africa, is reviewed.O. jonkershoekensis Pritchard, 1964 is established as a junior synonym ofO. elianae Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960, andO. siluranae n. sp. is described fromX. tropicalis in Ghana. These two species are differentiated by variations in body length, testicular arrangement and ventral sucker width in proportion to body size.O. elianae occurs inX. laevis laevis from South Africa and Zimbabwe (new locality record),X. l. poweri from Zaire,X. l. victorianus from Zaire, Uganda and Rwanda (new locality record),X. l. bunyoniensis (new host record) from Uganda andX. l. sudanensis from Sudan (new host and locality record). It is also found inX. wittei from Uganda and Zaire andX. vestitus (new host record) from Uganda. The host ofO. siluranae belongs to a separate species group within the genusXenopus from the hosts ofO. elianae; this tropicalis group is phylogenetically isolated, but it also occurs in a different biotype, lowland tropical rain forest, ecologically distinct from the other known host species.     

Opalinidae (Slopalinida) in Madagascan Anura: Zelleriella Metcalf, 1920 and Protoopalina Metcalf, 1918

Between January and April, 1995, 142 Madagascan anurans collected at nine sites and comprising 61 species in three families were checked for opalinids in the cloaca. Zelleriella madagascariensis n. sp. was found in two of three Dyscophus insularis (Microhylidae) from Morondava; Protoopalina devinckae n. sp. in one Ptychadena mascareniensis (Ranidae) from Morondava; P. primordialis (Awerinzew, 1913) in two Ptychadena mascareniensis from Antananarivo; P. drachi Tuzet & Knoepffler, 1968 in three of seven Ptychadena mascareniensis from Antananarivo and Andasibe; P. legeardi n. sp. in one Mantidactylus lugubris (Ranidae) and one of two M. grandidieri both from Andasibe; P. grolleaui n. sp. in one Scaphiophryne marmorata (Microhylidae) from Andasibe; P. charvisi n. sp. in two S. calcarata from Morondava; and P. perantonii n. sp. in three Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis (Ranidae) from Andasibe. The biogeographical significance of these findings is discussed.     

A new species of the genus Spiroxys (Nematoda; Spiruroidea) from Australian chelonians of the genus Chelodina (Chelidae)

Summary Spiroxys chelodinae n. sp. is described from Australia in three species of freshwater chelonian, Chelodina longicollis, C. expansa and C. oblonga and from New Guinea in an unidentified freshwater chelonian. S. chelodinae differs from other species of the genus in having pseudolabia each with a blunt, prominent, cuticular projection (tooth) on the middle lobe and no other cuticular prominences, a cuticular collar without spines or protrusions, and a gubernaculum with tubes through which the spicules pass. Larvae (probably fourth-stage larvae of S. chelodinae) are also described. This is the first record of a Spiroxys sp. from the Australian Region, and from a host group (suborder Pleurodira), which has a Gondwana distribution. This is discussed in relation to the zoogeography of the genus Spiroxys and it is postulated that Australian chelids acquired this parasite from non-marine cryptodires (possibly carettochelyids or trionychids). In addition, a Spiroxys sp. is recorded from Nigeria, constituting the first such record from the Ethiopian Region. It was found in Pelusius subniger, thus constituting the second record of a Spiroxys species in a pleurodire.     

New genus and new subgenus of subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from the Old World fauna

New genus Doryctoproctus n. gen. (type species D. africanus n. sp.) from South Africa, and new subgenus of the genus Pedinotus Szépligeti (Eopedinotus n. subgen. (type species Pedinotus (Eopedinotus) inopinatus n. sp.) from Philippines are described. The genus Pedinotus is recorded in Old World for the first time.