Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America
Tapeworms of the genus Ophiotaenia La Rue, 1911 parasitize herptiles (= amphibians and ‘reptiles’) throughout the world, with about 100 species recognised as valid. In the present work, the North American species found in watersnakes (Colubridae) are reviewed. An examination of the holotype of Ophio...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224423000810 |
| _version_ | 1797398578143952896 |
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| author | Alain de Chambrier Olena Kudlai Chris T. McAllister Tomáš Scholz |
| author_facet | Alain de Chambrier Olena Kudlai Chris T. McAllister Tomáš Scholz |
| author_sort | Alain de Chambrier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tapeworms of the genus Ophiotaenia La Rue, 1911 parasitize herptiles (= amphibians and ‘reptiles’) throughout the world, with about 100 species recognised as valid. In the present work, the North American species found in watersnakes (Colubridae) are reviewed. An examination of the holotype of Ophiotaenia perspicua La Rue, 1911, the type species of the genus, and other specimens from Nerodia rhombifer (Hallowell) revealed that two species were used for the species description. The ‘true’ O. perspicua has a small scolex and small, round suckers. This species is redescribed based on new material from Oklahoma, USA. The other species from N. rhombifer, Ophiotaenia laruei n. sp., has a larger scolex and larger, almost triangular suckers. Examination of the types of O. variabilis (Brooks, 1978) from N. rhombifer and N. cyclopion (Duméril, Bibron et Duméril) from Louisiana, USA has revealed that it is a mixture of two or more species. Because of poor quality of these specimens, it is not possible to adequately characterise O. variabilis, which is considered a species inquirenda. In addition, two new species are described from Nerodia fasciata confluens (Blanchard). Ophiotaenia currani n. sp. from Mississippi, USA is characterised by elongate, narrow proglottids, few testes, and a relatively long cirrus sac. Ophiotaenia tkachi n. sp. from Louisiana, USA is characterised by relatively short and wide proglottids, more testes, and an unusual terminal part of the vagina with folds. Morphologically similar tapeworms of N. fasciata confluens, N. erythrogaster (Förster), N. sipedon (Linnaeus), and Agkistrodon piscivorus (Lacépède) (Viperidae) from Arkansas and Oklahoma, USA, which are genetically nearly identical, are considered to be conspecific with O. tkachi n. sp. The present data suggest a high, previously undescribed species diversity of proteocephalid tapeworms in watersnakes in North America, and generally strict host specificity of these tapeworms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:27:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9b16dd5ef0df408d998b0bdbe72cdaf2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:27:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj.art-9b16dd5ef0df408d998b0bdbe72cdaf22023-12-10T06:16:01ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442023-12-0122255275Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North AmericaAlain de Chambrier0Olena Kudlai1Chris T. McAllister2Tomáš Scholz3Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum, P.O. Box 6434, CH-1211, Geneva 6, SwitzerlandInstitute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, LithuaniaDivision of Natural Sciences, Northeast Texas Community College, Mt Pleasant, TX, 75455, USAInstitute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Corresponding author.Tapeworms of the genus Ophiotaenia La Rue, 1911 parasitize herptiles (= amphibians and ‘reptiles’) throughout the world, with about 100 species recognised as valid. In the present work, the North American species found in watersnakes (Colubridae) are reviewed. An examination of the holotype of Ophiotaenia perspicua La Rue, 1911, the type species of the genus, and other specimens from Nerodia rhombifer (Hallowell) revealed that two species were used for the species description. The ‘true’ O. perspicua has a small scolex and small, round suckers. This species is redescribed based on new material from Oklahoma, USA. The other species from N. rhombifer, Ophiotaenia laruei n. sp., has a larger scolex and larger, almost triangular suckers. Examination of the types of O. variabilis (Brooks, 1978) from N. rhombifer and N. cyclopion (Duméril, Bibron et Duméril) from Louisiana, USA has revealed that it is a mixture of two or more species. Because of poor quality of these specimens, it is not possible to adequately characterise O. variabilis, which is considered a species inquirenda. In addition, two new species are described from Nerodia fasciata confluens (Blanchard). Ophiotaenia currani n. sp. from Mississippi, USA is characterised by elongate, narrow proglottids, few testes, and a relatively long cirrus sac. Ophiotaenia tkachi n. sp. from Louisiana, USA is characterised by relatively short and wide proglottids, more testes, and an unusual terminal part of the vagina with folds. Morphologically similar tapeworms of N. fasciata confluens, N. erythrogaster (Förster), N. sipedon (Linnaeus), and Agkistrodon piscivorus (Lacépède) (Viperidae) from Arkansas and Oklahoma, USA, which are genetically nearly identical, are considered to be conspecific with O. tkachi n. sp. The present data suggest a high, previously undescribed species diversity of proteocephalid tapeworms in watersnakes in North America, and generally strict host specificity of these tapeworms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224423000810OnchoproteocephalideaOphiotaeniaNew speciesTaxonomyMorphologyWatersnakes |
| spellingShingle | Alain de Chambrier Olena Kudlai Chris T. McAllister Tomáš Scholz Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Onchoproteocephalidea Ophiotaenia New species Taxonomy Morphology Watersnakes |
| title | Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America |
| title_full | Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America |
| title_fullStr | Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America |
| title_full_unstemmed | Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America |
| title_short | Discovering high species diversity of Ophiotaenia tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of watersnakes (Colubridae) in North America |
| title_sort | discovering high species diversity of ophiotaenia tapeworms cestoda proteocephalidae of watersnakes colubridae in north america |
| topic | Onchoproteocephalidea Ophiotaenia New species Taxonomy Morphology Watersnakes |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224423000810 |
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