Myxobolus allami sp. n. is described from the intestinal wall of the silvery black porgy, Sparidentex hasta (Valenciennes), off Saudi Arabian coast of Arabian Gulf. Two of 20 examined fish were found to be infected with irregular-shaped plasmodia 3-8 mm long × 2-3 mm wide. Mature myxospores are subspherical to elliptical in the valvular view and oval in the sutural view, and are 11-13 (12) µm long, 7-8 (7.5) µm wide and 10-12 (10.8) µm thick. Spores have relatively thin valves and mostly (~ 72%) end with short caudal appendages of ~3 µm long. The spores also have two polar capsules, which are oval to elliptical and measure 5-7 (5.7) µm in length and 2-3 (2.7) µm in width. Polar filaments are coiled, with three turns. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that caudal appendages originated from the sutural edge at the posterior pole of the myxospore with density similar to that of its valves. The SSU rRNAgene sequence of the present species does not match any available sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetically, this species is sister to Myxobolus khaliji Zhang, Al-Qurausihy et Abdel-Baki, 2014 within a well-supported clade of Myxobolus-Henneguya with species infecting marine fishes. The combination of molecular data and morphological differences between this and other species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 lead us to propose that the present form be established as a new species, M. allami. The present study also provides more evidence for the idea that caudal appendages cannot be reliably used to distinguish the species of the genera Myxobolus and Henneguya Thélohan, 1892.
The sicklefin redhorse, Moxostoma sp. (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), is an innominate imperiled catostomid endemic to the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee river basins, which has been restricted to a few tributaries of these systems by impoundments. During collections to propagate sicklefin redhorse for reintroduction, a myxozoan, described herein, was observed infecting sicklefin redhorse in the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina. Myxobolus naylori Ksepka et Bullard sp. n. infects the stratum spongiosum covering the scales of sicklefin redhorse. Myxospores of the new species differ from all congeners by the combination of having a mucous envelope, intercapsular process, and sutural markings as well as lacking an iodinophilic vacuole in the sporoplasm. and A phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rDNA gene recovered the new species in a polytomy with Myxobolus marumotoi Li et Sato, 2014 and a clade comprised of species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882; Thelohanellus Kudo, 1933, and Dicauda Hoffman et Walker, 1973. Histological sections of infected sicklefin redhorse skin revealed myxospores within a plasmodium in the stratum spongiosum dorsal to scales, encapsulated in collagen fibres, and associated with focal erosion of scales directly beneath the plasmodium; in some instances, the scale was perforated by the plasmodium. The specificity of the new species to sicklefin redhorse may make it a useful biological tag to differentiate sicklefin redhorse from morphologically similar species. The new species is the first parasite reported from sicklefin redhorse, a species of concern to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. No species of Myxobolus has been reported from species of Moxostoma in the Southeast United States. As it was observed that Myxobolus minutus Rosser, Griffin, Quiniou, Alberson, Woodyard, Mischker, Greenway, Wise et Pote, 2016 is a primary junior homonym of Myxobolus minutus Nemeczek, 1911, we propose the replacement name Myxobolus diminutus (Rosser, Griffin, Quiniou, Alberson, Woodyard, Mischker, Greenway, Wise et Pote, 2016).
Monozoic cestodes of the recently amended genus Promonobothrium Mackiewicz, 1968 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of suckers (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in North America, are reviewed, with information on their host specificity, distribution and data on the scolex morphology of seven species studied for the first time using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Evaluation of type and voucher specimens from museum collections and newly collected material of most species indicated the following valid nominal species: Promonobothrium minytremi Mackiewicz, 1968 (type species); P. ingens (Hunter, 1927); P. hunteri (Mackiewicz, 1963); P. ulmeri (Calentine et Mackiewicz, 1966); P. fossae (Williams, 1974) and P. mackiewiczi (Williams, 1974). Rogersus Williams, 1980 with its only species R. rogersi is transferred to Promonobothrium based on morphological and molecular data. Promonobothrium currani sp. n. and P. papiliovarium sp. n. are described from Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque) and Ictiobus niger (Rafinesque), and Erimyzon oblongus (Mitchill), respectively. The newly described species can be distinguished from the other congeners by the morphology of the scolex, the position of the anteriormost vitelline follicles and testes, the presence of postovarian vitelline follicles and the shape of the ovary. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of six species based on sequences of the small and large subunits of the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (ssrDNA, lsrDNA) confirmed the monophyletic status of the genus and supported the validity of the species analysed. A key to identification of all species of Promonobothrium based on morphological characteristics is provided., Mikuláš Oros, Jan Brabec, Roman Kuchta, Anindo Choudhury, Tomáš Scholz., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A new myxozoan, Ceratomyxa bohari sp. n., infecting the gall bladder of two-spot red snapper, Lutjanus bohar Forsskål, in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia, is described using light microscopy and characterised genetically. The infection was recorded as mature spores floating free in the bile. The overall prevalence of infection of the type host was 19% (67 fish infected of 360 examined), with the highest prevalence in autumn (31%; 28/90) and the lowest in winter at 12% (11/90). Mature spores are slender and slightly crescent-shaped in the frontal view, with anterior and posterior margins tapered gradually to rounded valvular tips. Spore valves are unequal with a prominent sutural line. The spore dimensions are 3-4 μm (mean 3.5 μm) in length and 16-19 μm (mean 17 μm) in thickness. Two polar capsules are spherical, equal in size, 1.5 μm in diameter. Coils of the polar filament are indiscernible. The sporoplasm is binucleated and fills nearly one third of the extracapsular space restricted to the area below the capsules. The molecular analysis based on the small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) sequence revealed a close relationship with majority of species of Ceratomyxa Thélohan, 1892 and phylogenetic clustering with species from different geographical location. Thus, the shorter spore of the present Ceratomyxa species and the divergence of the SSU rDNA sequences were the distinctive features that separate it from all previously described species and identified this parasite as a new species of Ceratomyxa., Lamjed Mansour, Abdel-Azeem S. Abdel-Baki, Ahmad F. Tamihi, Saleh Al-Quraishy., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Two new microleafhopper genera of Empoascini within the subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Condensella Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species C. filamenta Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., and Endogena Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species E. flava Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., are described from southern China and Thailand. Male habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia of the two new species are provided. Comparative notes on related genera are provided. Phylogenetic relationships and the status of genus groups within the tribe are also discussed., Ye Xu, Christopher H. Dietrich, Wenhui Zhao, Daozheng Qin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The African continent has a rich diversity of fish and amphibians in its inland water systems that serve as hosts for monogeneans of seven genera of the Gyrodactylidae van Beneden et Hesse, 1832. In August 2011, eight gyrodactylid parasites were collected from the gills of two specimens of bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters), from Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Morphometric evaluation and sequencing of 18S rDNA confirmed that the specimens represented a species of a new viviparous genus, Tresuncinidactylus wilmienae gen. et sp. n. The attachment apparatus consists of a single pair of large slender hamuli with prominently flattened roots that are connected by a simple, narrow dorsal bar. The ventral bar is small and possesses a thin lingulate membrane but no evident anterolateral processes. There are 16 marginal hooks of one morphological type, but of three different sizes, with large falculate sickles that are proportionaly equal in length to the length of their handles. The two largest pairs of marginal hooks are positioned closest to the opisthaptoral peduncle, the neighbouring two pairs of medium-sized marginal hook sickles are situated along the lateral margins of the opisthaptor. Four pairs of smallest marginal hooks are positioned along the posterior margin of the opisthaptor. The male copulatory organ consists of a muscular pouch armed with approximately 30 gracile spines. Phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of the 18S rDNA using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference placed the new genus within the lineage of solely African genera and suggests Afrogyrodactylus Paperna, 1968, Citharodactylus Přikrylová, Shinn et Paladini, 2017 and Mormyrogyrodactylus Luus-Powell, Mashego et Khalil, 2003 as genera most closely related to the new genus., Iva Přikrylová, Maxwell Barson, Andrew P. Shinn., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The Natal multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Mitochondrial phylogenetics indicate this species was fragmented during the Pleistocene, forming six matrilineage phylogroups: A-I, A-II, A-III, B-IV, B-V, B-VI with distinct ranges. All except the A-III lineage are identified as natural reservoirs of mammarenaviruses. M. natalensis A-III is found in western Ethiopia and is the only lineage reported in the country. While screening 203 small mammal samples from Dhati Welel National Park for mammarenaviruses, we detected mammarenavirus RNA in nine samples, eight from M. natalensis and one from M. awashensis. A sequence similarity search and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the M. natalensis mitochondrial DNA belongs to the A-III lineage. We characterised the complete virus genome, which showed typical mammarenavirus organisation. Phylogenetic analysis indicated it clusters with Gairo virus found in M. natalensis B-IV in Tanzania, while showing sufficient divergence from other mammarenaviruses to be considered as a new species, for which we proposed the name Dhati Welel. Additional sampling in the M. natalensis A-III phylogeographic range should help determine whether the detection of the virus in M. awashensis represents a local spill-over or if the virus circulates in both Mastomys species.
A new species of Lymanopoda Westwood, a cloud forest Neotropical genus of Satyrinae, is described from the páramo grasslands on an isolated, peripheral massif in the Colombian Central Cordillera of the Andes: L. flammigera Pyrcz, Prieto & Boyer, sp. n. The genus Lymanopoda is species-rich (approx. 65 species) and its alpha taxonomy is relatively well researched. Relationships within the genus using molecular data have also been explored. The new species is outstanding for its golden yellow colour in males, not found in any other neotropical Satyrinae. Cladograms were constructed based on COI sequences of 47 species of Lymanopoda (~ 70% of the known species) including 17 from Colombia. The new species segregates in the "tolima" clade, which comprises four other high altitude Colombian species, as well as two from Ecuador. However, it is the comparative analysis of male genitalia, in particular the superuncus and valvae, which identified its closest relatives, thus confirming that genital characters can help refine molecular phylogenies. In addition to identifying species using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA barcodes), nucleotide sites with unique fixed states used to identify nine species of Lymanopoda from Colombia are also presented., Tomasz W. Pyrcz, Carlos Prieto, Pierre Boyer, Jadwiga Lorenc-Brudecka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In an effort to expand knowledge of Clade 3-one of the ten clades that compose the non-monophyletic order 'Tetraphyllidea' all current members of which parasitise orectolobiform sharks-we targeted species of orectolobiform sharks that had not previously been examined for 'tetraphyllidean' cestodes. That work led to the discovery of three new species off Australia and Taiwan. Ambitalveolus gen. n. was erected to accommodate these species. Ambitalveolus costelloae gen. n. et sp. n., Ambitalveolus kempi sp. n., and Ambitalveolus penghuensis sp. n. differ from one another in scolex size, genital pore position, and number of marginal loculi, proglottids, and testes. Among 'tetraphyllideans', the new genus most closely resembles the two other genera in Clade 3. It differs from Carpobothrium Shipley et Hornell, 1906 in lacking anterior and posterior flap-like extensions of its bothridia; instead, its bothridia are essentially circular. It differs from Caulopatera Cutmore, Bennett et Cribb, 2010 in that its vitelline follicles are in two lateral bands, rather than circum-medullary, and in that its bothridia bear, rather than lack, conspicuous marginal loculi. A key to the three genera in Clade 3 is provided. A phylogenetic analysis including new sequence data for one of the three new species of Ambitalveolus gen. n., the only species of Caulopatera, and all four described species and one undescribed species of Carpobothrium supports previously hypothesised close affinities between Caulopatera and Carpobothrium, with the new genus as their sister group. This is the first report of 'tetraphyllidean' cestodes from the orectolobiform shark family Brachaeluridae Applegate. The association of the new species with orectolobiform sharks is consistent with those of the other members of Clade 3. However, whereas species of Carpobothrium and Caulopatera parasitise members of the hemiscylliid genus Chiloscyllium Müller et Henle, species of Amitalveolus gen. n. parasitise members of the Brachaeluridae and Orectolobidae Gill.
Tissue samples from wildlife from South Africa were opportunistically collected and screened for haemoprotozoan parasites using nonspecific PCR primers. Samples of 127 individuals were tested, comprising over 50 different species. Haemogregarines were the most commonly identified parasites, but sarcocystids and piroplasmids were also detected. Phylogenetic analyses estimated from the 18S rDNA marker highlighted the occurrence of several novel parasite forms and the detection of parasites in novel hosts. Phylogenetic relationships, which have been recently reviewed, appear to be much more complex than previously considered. Our study highlights the high diversity of parasites circulating in wildlife in this biodiverse region, and the need for further studies to resolve taxonomic issues., D. James Harris, Ali Halajian, Joana L. Santos, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Peter John Taylor, Raquel Xavier., and Obsahuje bibliografii