Mansonella (E.) rotundicapita sp.n. and Mansonella (E.) longicapita sp.n. (Filarioidea : Onchocercidae) from Venezuelan capybaras, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Mansonella (E.) longicapita sp. n. and Mansonella (E.) rotundicapita sp. n., two filarial nematodes from the dermis of Venezuelan capybaras, are described. The two species can be distinguished on the size of the spicules (M. longicapita 327 and 139 micron, ratio of 2.3 : 1 ; M. rotundicapita 405 and 120 micron, ratio of 3.4 : 1), the degree of lateral elongation of the cephalic shield and in the size and configuration of the microfilaria. The microfilaria of M. rotundicapita is large (280 micron long), and in specimens fixed in 2% formalin, the posterior end of the body is bent in a shepherd's crook, while the microfilaria of M. longicapita is short (195 micron long) and when similarly fixed, assumes a gently curved attitude. Within the subgenus M. (Esslingeria), the species M. longicapita and M. rotundicapita are intermediate in size. Morphologically they resemble M. streptocerca and M. rodhaini most closely, but can be distinguished on size, spicule morphology, and microfilarial morphology.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macroderoides texanus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Macroderoididae) from alligator gar, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atractosteus spatula</Emphasis> in Texas

Macroderoides texanus n. sp. is described based on 16 specimens collected from the intestine of the North American alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula. Of the five established species of Macroderoides, the new species is morphologically most similar to Macroderoides spiniferus and Macroderoides trilobatus. M. texanus n. sp. differs from M. spiniferus by having the ovary situated immediately posterior to the cirrus sac rather than at mid-way between the cirrus sac and anterior testis, the ventral sucker situated further posteriorly, and the vitelline fields extending somewhat posterior to posterior testis rather than to the middle of posterior testis. M. texanus n. sp. differs from M. trilobatus by having the ovary positioned immediately adjacent to, or overlapping the cirrus sac rather than at some distance posterior to it, and by having significantly larger eggs. Additionally, the new species has two distinctive rows of spines on the postero-ventral surface of the oral sucker that are lacking in M. spiniferus and M. trilobatus. Comparison of approximately 2,700-base-pair sequences of nuclear rDNA (partial 18S, complete ITS region and partial 28S) from M. texanus n. sp., M. spiniferus and M. trilobatus, strongly supports the status of M. texanus n. sp. as a new species.     

Some species of the genus<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Myxobolus</Emphasis> (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) infecting freshwater fish of the River Nile,Egypt, and the impact on their hosts

Six Myxobolus species are described from Nile fish, five of which are new and one is redescribed: M. naffari Abdel Ghaffar et al., 1998 was recovered from the gills of Labeo niloticus and the mouth of Barbus bynni; M. caudatus sp. n. was observed in the tail fin of B. bynni; M. fahmii sp. n. occurred in the gills of B. bynni; M. imami sp. n. was found in the kidney of L. niloticus; M. intestinalis sp. n. was recorded from the intestine of B. bynni; and M. perforata sp. n. was found in the internal surface of the operculum of Hydrocynus forskalii. The histological effects of some of the Myxobolus infections present are described.     

Study of communities of Monogenea Dactylogyridae parasites of the Cyprinidae in Lake Mikri Prespa (northern Greece). Description of 3 new species from an endemic Barbus: Barbus cyclolepis prespensis Karaman, 1924

In this paper are described 17 species of Monogenea Dactylogyridae, parasites of Cyprinidae from lake Mikri Prespa, in Greece: 14 species have been already reported in mediterranean region; 3 new species have been harvested on an endemic Barbus, B. cyclolepis prespensis, Dactylogyrus balkanicus n. sp., Dactylogyrus crivellius n. sp., Dactylogyrus prespensis n. sp. For these communities of Dactylogyrus, we discuss some problems of parasite specificity, speciation and biogeography. From the morphological types, we suggest for D. crivellius and D. prespensis an allopatric speciation and for D. balkanicus, a synxenic sympatric speciation.     

The genus Mansonella (syn. Tetrapetalonema): a new classification

Mansonella has been established as a valid genus, and Tetrapetalonema synonymized with it. Comparative morphological studies have resulted in the restructuring of the Mansonella group. The genus is characterized by the following features: cuticular pre-esophageal ring absent; esophagus slender, poorly differentiated; female tail with four terminal papillae; caudal papillae in male typically clustered around cloaca; and, microfilariae without sheath. Twenty-four species are assigned to the genus Mansonella. Five subgenera are proposed to accommodate these species. The subgeneric groups are distinguished principally on morphological criteria, although host range and geographical distribution are considered. The following systematic classification is proposed: Mansonella (Mansonella) subgen. n., to accommodate those species which have the following morphological features: cephalic extremity with dorsoventral orientation; male tail with tip flattened dorsoventrally; vulva in midesophageal region; and microfilariae without nuclei extending to tip of tail. Type species is M. (M.) ozzardi. Mansonella (Tupainema) subgen. n., to accommodate the single species M. dunni with the following characters: cephalic extremity with lateral orientation and body constricted to form cephalic extremity in shape of hemisphere narrower than body behind it; tip of male tail not flattened dorsoventrally; vulva at or posterior to base of esophagus; and, microfilariae without nuclei to tip of tail. Mansonella (Esslingeria) comb. n., to accommodate those species with the following characters: cephalic extremity with lateral orientation; male tail flattened dorsoventrally at tip or not; vulva in midesophageal region; and, microfilariae with nuclei to tip of tail. Type species is M. (E.) perstans. Mansonella (Tetrapetalonema) comb. n., to accommodate those species with the following characters: cephalic extremity with dorsoventral orientation or with body constricted to form cephalic extremity in shape of hemisphere narrower than body behind it; male tail not flattened at tip; vulva in midesophageal region; and, microfilariae with nuclei to tip of tail. Type species is M. (T.) marmosetae. Mansonella (Sandnema) comb. n., to accommodate those species with the following characters: cephalic extremity rounded, not oriented along lateral or median axis; tip of male tail not flattened; caudal papillae on male tail not clustered around cloaca; vulva near base of esophagus; and, microfilariae with nuclei to tip of tail. Type species is M. (S.) digitata.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trypanosoma</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Herpetosoma</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">kuseli</Emphasis> sp. n. (Protozoa: Kinetoplastida) in Siberian flying squirrels (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pteromys volans</Emphasis>)

All trypanosome species classified in the subgenus Herpetosoma in sciurid hosts have been recorded from ground and tree squirrels to date, but not from any flying squirrels. We describe in this paper a novel trypanosome species, Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) kuseli sp. n., from Siberian flying squirrels (Pteromys volans) imported from China, and compare it with T. (H.) otospermophili in Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) and Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) from the USA. Due to a short free flagellum, the new species appeared stumpy compared with T. otospermophili (length of free flagellum 7.0 +/- 0.8 microm, total length 32.1 +/- 0.8 microm, n = 13 and length of free flagellum 15.5 +/- 1.6 microm, total length 35.9 +/- 1.0 microm, n = 13, respectively). Another conspicuous morphological feature of the new species was an anteriorly positioned kinetoplast, found approximately at the midpoint between the nucleus and the posterior end. These characters have not been recorded from any squirrel Herpetosoma trypanosome species. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the small and large subunit rRNA genes indicated that T. kuseli sp. n. was more homologous to T. otospermophili than murid Herpetosoma species, such as T. grosi, T. lewisi, T. musculi, T. microti and T. evotomys.     

Two cystidicolids (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae) from marine fishes off New Caledonia

Two nematode species of the family Cystidicolidae were collected from the digestive tract of marine fishes off New Caledonia, South Pacific: Ascarophis adioryx Machida, 1981 from the stomach of the speckled squirrelfish Sargocentron spiniferum and the sabre squirrelfish Neoniphon sammara (new host record) (both Holocentridae, Beryciformes), and a Spinitectus sp. female, morphologically similar to S. beaveri Overstreet, 1970, from the roundjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta (Albulidae, Albuliformes). Based on light and scanning electron microscopy examinations, A. adioryx is redescribed and a new subgenus Dentiascarophis subgen. nov., characterized by the presence of one dorsal and one ventral median protrusions in the mouth, is established to accommodate it; a key to subgenera of Ascarophis is provided. Ascarophis holocentri Parukhin, 1984 is considered a junior synonym of A. adioryx. The cephalic structure of Spinitectus sp. and S. beaveri is very different from those in other congeners and, therefore, a new subgenus Paraspinitectus subgen. nov., characterized by highly reduced pseudolabia, is erected to accommodate these species. The hemiurid digenean Lecithochirium cirrhiti (Manter et Pritchard, 1960) Yamaguti,1970 was found in the stomach of three species of squirrelfishes. Findings of A. (D.) adioryx, Spinitectus (P.) sp. and L. cirrhiti in New Caledonian waters represent new geographical records of these parasites.     

云南省库蠓属吉蠓亚属一新种及缘斑库蠓雄虫的描述(双翅目:蠓科)

本文报道了采自云南省库蠓属Culicoides吉蠓亚属(Jilinocoides)的1新种,磨憨库蠓C.(J.)mohanensis Liu,sp.nov.;新发现并描述了缘斑库蠓雄虫C.marginus Chu,1984.磨憨库蠓新种与广西库蠓C.(J.) guangxiensi Liu et Hao,2003相近似,但后者翅面有12个淡斑,径中淡斑与中2室的淡斑相连接,径5室近端部的1个淡斑不邻接翅端部,中1室近端部的1个淡斑不邻接翅端部与磨憨库蠓新种明显不相同.新种模式标本保存在沈阳军区疾病预防控制中心.     

Bucephalidae (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) of Plectropomus (Serranidae: Epinephelinae) in the tropical Pacific

We examined four species of Plectropomus Oken, 1817 (Serranidae: Epinephelinae), Plectropomus areolatus (Rüppell), Plectropomus laevis (Lacepède), Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède) and Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch) from sites off Heron Island and Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (GBR), and the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. Three new species of Neidhartia Nagaty, 1937, five new species of Prosorhynchus Odhner, 1905, and one previously described species, Prosorhynchus freitasi Nagaty, 1937, are characterised. The three species of Neidhartia, Neidhartia haywardi n. sp., Neidhartia plectropomi n. sp. and Neidhartia tyleri n. sp. are readily distinguishable morphologically. Two of the six species of Prosorhynchus (Prosorhynchus lesteri n. sp. and Prosorhynchus wrightae n. sp.) are easily distinguished from their other congeners by morphology but the other four species (P. freitasi, Prosorhynchus heronensis n. sp., Prosorhynchus munozae n. sp. and Prosorhynchus plectropomi n. sp.) are generally similar in morphology and were only distinguished initially by comparing their ITS2 rRNA sequences. Three additional taxa, one from the GBR and two from French Polynesia, were recognised as distinct on the basis that their ITS2 rRNA sequences differed from those of the new taxa described here; these species remain unnamed for the present. Inter-specific divergence observed within these genera in the ITS2 rRNA ranged from 10 to 42 base pairs (4–16 %) for species of Neidhartia and 2–57 base pairs (3–21 %) for species of Prosorhynchus. Inter-generic divergences were 42–55 base pairs (17–21 %). No intraspecific variation in the ITS2 rRNA region was observed for any of the six species for which multiple sequence replicates were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of 12 operational taxa from Plectropomus together with sequences of three other species from epinepheline serranids demonstrated that Neidhartia and Prosorhynchus were reciprocally monophyletic with the exception that P. wrightae n. sp. fell either within or basal to the Neidhartia species. The richness of bucephalids in species of Plectropomus appears to be exceptional within the Serranidae relative to that observed in other serranid genera in the tropical Indo-West Pacific.     

Frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis as the cause of pharyngitis.

We evaluated the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis as the etiologic agent of uncomplicated pharyngitis by the cell culture procedure recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga., and by the MicroTrak direct immunofluorescent stain (Syva Co., Palo Alto, Calif.) for elementary bodies on throat swabs collected from 126 symptomatic patients. Of the 126 cultures, 8% were positive for group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Of 126 chlamydia cultures, none was positive. The MicroTrak test gave one borderline positive result. In contrast to a previously published report that C. trachomatis is the most frequent nonviral cause of adult pharyngitis (A. L. Komaroff, M. D. Aronson, T. M. Pass, C. T. Ervin, and W. T. Branch, Jr., Science 222:927-929, 1983), our data indicated an infection rate of less than 1%.     

Five new myxosporean species (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) infecting the Nile tilapia <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreochromis niloticus</Emphasis> in Bahr Shebin,Nile Tributary,Nile Delta,Egypt

Five new myxosporean species belonging to three different genera were described from the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in Bahr Shebin, Nile Tributary, Nile Delta, Egypt. These species are: Zschokkella nilei sp. n., Ortholinea africanus sp. n., Triangula egyptica sp. n., Myxobolus fomenai sp. n., and Myxobolus branchiophilus sp. n. Morphometry, light microscopy, and hand drawing of mature spores and plasmodia were presented for each species.     

Leishmania (Viannia) shawi sp. n., a parasite of monkeys, sloths and procyonids in Amazonian Brazil

Leishmania (Viannia) shawi sp. n., is described from the monkeys Cebus apella and Chiropotes satanus, the sloths Choloepus didactylus and Bradypus tridactylus, the procyonid Nasua nasua, and the phlebotomine sandfly Lutzomyia whitmani, all from primary forest in the State of Pará, north Brazil. L. (V.) shawi is variably distinguished from all other known species within the subgenus Viannia by a combination of biological, biochemical and serological characters, as revealed by studies on morphology, isoenzyme profiles, kDNA buoyant densities and monoclonal antibodies.     

Ciliate ectoparasites (Ciliophora: Trichodinidae/Chilodonellidae) on gills of Carassius auratus from the Yangtze River, China, with the description of Trichodina luzhoues sp. n.

Three species of the genus Trichodina Ehrenberg, 1838 and one species of the genus Chilodonella Strand, 1926 were collected from gills of Carassius auratus. They are Trichodina luzhoues sp. n., Trichodina mutabilis Kazubski and Migala, 1968, Trichodina reticulata Hirschman and Partsch, 1955, and Chilodonella hexasticha Kiernik, 1909. T. luzhoues sp. n. is a medium-sized trichodinid, and its denticles are very distinctive: the blade is narrow rhombus shaped, the section connecting the blade and central part is long and very thin; the section connecting the central part and ray is short and very thick. Ch. hexasticha is a new record in China.     

Intestinal infections by Eimeria (s. l.) vanasi n. sp. (Eimeriidae, Apicomplexa, Protozoa) in cichlid fish

Eimeria (s. l.) vanasi n. sp. is described from the intestine of a variety of cichlids in Israel and South Africa. Merogony and gamogony stages are both intra- and epiepithelial, Sporogony is exogenous with young zygotes being released from the fish in the faeces. Fully developed sporocysts are ellipsoid and apparently lacking both a Stieda body (characteristic of Eimeria s. st. and Epieimeria species) and a suture line (characteristic of Goussia species). In view of the present controversial generic status of piscine coccidia, the species is tentatively designated as Eimeria (s. l.) vanasi n. sp. (Eimeriidae, Apicomplexa, Protozoa).     

Ancyrocephalidae (Monogenea) of Lake Tanganyika: III: Cichlidogyrus infecting the world’s biggest cichlid and the non-endemic tribes Haplochromini, Oreochromini and Tylochromini (Teleostei, Cichlidae)

Lake Tanganyika is the deepest and oldest African Great Lake and of economic importance. While the diversity of its endemic cichlid radiations yielded scientific interest, a number of cichlid tribes have few representatives in the lake. Some of those, namely Oreochromini (ex-Tilapiini), Haplochromini and Tylochromini, reach higher species numbers in riverine systems. Conversely, the phylogenetic position of the monospecific and endemic Boulengerochromini is unclear. The oreochromines Oreochromis tanganicae and Oreochromis niloticus, the haplochromine Astatotilapia burtoni, the tylochromine Tylochromis polylepis and the boulengerochromine Boulengerochromis microlepis, the largest cichlid species worldwide, were surveyed for ancyrocephalid monogenean gill parasites. Five new species are proposed. Cichlidogyrus gillardinae sp. n. is described from A. burtoni, Cichlidogyrus mbirizei sp. n. from O. tanganicae and Cichlidogyrus nshomboi sp. n. from B. microlepis. T. polylepis harbours Cichlidogyrus mulimbwai sp. n., Cichlidogyrus muzumanii sp. n. and a third, presently undescribed species. Four species known from outside the Tanganyika Basin were retrieved on the oreochromines. The host species are scientific models or important in the sectors of fisheries or ornamental fish trade. Moreover, their phylogenetic positions render them well-suited to help elucidate the historic relationships between riverine and lacustrine African cichlids. In this framework, their Cichlidogyrus fauna is compared to congeners known from African rivers and to the few Tanganyika representatives described. While the parasites of Oreochromis, A. burtoni and T. polylepis are reminiscent of those infecting related hosts throughout Africa, B. microlepis hosts a Cichlidogyrus morphotype typical of Lake Tanganyika. This supports its placement within an endemic cichlid radiation.