Notopentorchis musealis, Mariaux & Georgiev, 2018

Mariaux, Jean & Georgiev, Boyko B., 2018, Seven new species of cestode parasites (Neodermata, Platyhelminthes) from Australian birds, European Journal of Taxonomy 440, pp. 1-42 : 29-31

Notopentorchis musealis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:99114137-DA7B-47EE-996F-49005C2B8A07

Figs 29–33 , Table 5

Etymology

The species name refers to the fact that this species is described from museum material.

Material examined

Holotype

AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Sydney , 38°8′ S, 144°22′ E, 2005, Karie Rose leg. (AHC 36478).

Paratype

AUSTRALIA: same data as for holotype (AHC 36478).

Intensity

Two specimens and a few small fragments. Co-infection with Neoliga sp.

Description

Body of medium size, with maximum length 34 mm for 404 proglottides; maximum width 590, at level of gravid proglottides. Proglottides craspedote, all but the few most developed (pre-gravid) ones wider than long. Ventral osmoregulatory canals connected posteriorly in each proglottis with transverse anastomosis. Scolex slightly rounded, not distinctly separated from neck, with diameter 248–345 (n = 2). Suckers elongated 170–215 in diameter (182, n = 7). Rostellum very muscular, sucker-like, slightly concave anteriorly and conical posteriorly, 114–139 in diameter and 107–125 long (n = 2) ( Fig. 29 ). Rostellar hooks mostly lost (probably several tens, only 7 remaining), in two rows, subequal, 21–23 in length (22, n = 5). Posterior hooks with slightly more curved handle than anterior hooks ( Fig. 30 ); guard bifid. Small epiphyses on both guards and handles. Neck long; proglottization distinct at 475 from posterior margin of suckers. Genital pores at mid-length of lateral proglottis margin, irregularly alternating in short series, maximum 5 consecutive pores observed on one side. Ventral osmoregulatory canals connected posteriorly in each proglottis by single transverse anastomosis. Genital ducts passing ventrally to osmoregulatory canals. Genital atrium cup-shaped, voluminous.

Testes large, spherical, 5–8 (6.5, n = 11) in number, in single posterior and dorsal layer, often overlapping vitellarium and posterior parts of ovary, occasionally overlapping longitudinal osmoregulatory canals. External vas deferens convoluted antero-porally, poral to developing uterus surrounded by intensely-stained cells and forming together with them dense mass in anteroporal part of median field. Cirrus-sac 91–112 × 54–64 (105 × 59, n = 15), consisting of narrower, almost cylindrical, distal part and spherical thick-walled proximal part, often overlapping poral osmoregulatory canals; internal vas deferens coiled in proximal part of cirrus-sac. Cirrus cylindrical, unarmed, 10–12 in diameter.

Vitellarium oval, massive, mostly irregular, 55–76 × 40–50 (68 × 46, n = 10), situated adjacent to posterior proglottis margin. Ovary central, transversely elongate, initially slightly bilobate but rapidly becoming more compact and irregular ( Figs 31–32 ). Mehlis’ gland overlapping or just anterior to vitellarium. Seminal receptacle with rounded distal end and tubular and gradually tapering proximal end. Vaginal pore dorsal to pore of cirrus-sac; most of copulatory part of vagina passing posteriorly to cirrus-sac, straight; lumen encircled by thin cellular sleeve; connected with seminal receptacle by thin and short conductive part ( Fig. 32 ).

Young uterus in mature proglottides well marked, with strong walls, developing antero-dorsally to ovary, initially globular ( Fig. 32 ), often with some irregular incomplete septa. With increasing in size, uterus becoming more irregular, with densification surrounding its anterior wall ( Fig. 33 ); with further development, uterus increasing in size; paruterine organ developing mostly anterior to it but also embracing uterus laterally. No fully developed eggs available.

Remarks

The present material unambiguously belongs to Notopentorchis Burt, 1938 as diagnosed by Georgiev & Kornyushin (1994). This genus has recently been thoroughly reviewed and presently comprises eight species, all of them found in swifts from the Old World ( Georgiev & Bray 1991; Dimitrova et al. 2017).

Our material is unfortunately in a rather poor state of conservation and limited as neither a scolex with a full set of hooks nor fully developed gravid proglottides are available. It is, however, sufficient to allow examination of most diagnostic characters. These characters were proved to be sufficiently unique to distinguish it from congeners and to allow for a species description.

Of the eight known species, three belong to a group with rostellar hooks of clearly distinct length in each of the two rostellar rows ( Dimitrova et al. 2017). The present material differs from all remaining species by a larger cirrus-sac and larger suckers ( Table 5). In addition, it differs from N. collocaliae Burt, 1938 by a larger scolex and rostellum ; from N. javanica (Hübscher, 1937) by fewer testes; from N. iduncula (Spasskii, 1946) , N. caffrapi ( Mokhehle, 1951) , and N. micropus Singh, 1952 by smaller rostellar hooks ( Mokhehle 1951; Singh 1952; Baer 1959; Dimitrova et al. 2017).

So far, no species of Notopentorchis has been reported from Australia. The white-throated needletail Hirundapus caudacutus , hosting the worms described here, however occurs in Central and East Asia and winters in Eastern Australia ( Lepage 2017), making this range extension logical. The single occurrence of Notopentorchis in this host was reported as N. vesiculigera (Krabbe, 1882) by Oshmarin (1963) in 15 out 29 birds in the Primorye Region (South-Eastern Russia). Besides its European and African distribution, N. vesiculigera clearly differs from our material by its much larger hooks and higher number of testes. We conclude that the present material belongs to an undescribed species that we name Notopentorchis musealis sp. nov.

Figures

Figs 29–33. Notopentorchis musealis sp. nov. 29. Scolex. 30. Hooks: A, C. Anterior hooks, B. Posterior hook. 31. Mature proglottis. 32. Postmature proglottis. 33. Pregravid proglottis. Scale bars: 29, 31–33 = 100 µm; 30 = 20 µm.