Vampirolepis sp.

Moguel-Chin, Wilson I., Digiani, María Celina, Macswiney, M. Cristina, Ortega, Jorge, Ospina-Garcés, Sandra M., García-Prieto, Luis, Canché-Pool, Elsy B., Robles, María Del Rosario, Ávila-López, Mariana B., Chan-Casanova, Anyela Jackelin & Panti-May, Jesús Alonso, 2025, Intestinal helminths of bats in the States of Nayarit and Veracruz, Mexico, with redescription of Bidigiticauda vivipara Chitwood, Zootaxa 5566 (2), pp. 329-346 : 335-336

Vampirolepis sp. (1)

Site of infection: Small intestine

Host: Rhogeessa parvula

Locality: Campamento Camarones (21°37’27.2” N, 106°37’50.4” W, 42 MASL), Islas Marías , Nayarit

Prevalence and intensity: 33.3% (1/3) and 7

Specimen deposited: CNHE 12136

GenBank accession number: PQ476178

Comments: Based on three immature specimens and one scolex observed at SEM. Scolex oval to rounded, 140‒200 in diameter ( Figures 2D , 3A ). Suckers unarmed, cup-shaped, 58‒68 in diameter. Rostellum broad, 60‒70 in diameter, armed with 17‒20 hooks in single row ( Figures 2D , 3B ). Hook length 27‒30.

The specimens described here were included in the genus Vampirolepis based on the presence of armed rostellum, because they are parasites of bats ( Makarikova 2018), and by the molecularly established phylogenetic position (see below). Based on the number of rostellar hooks, the most similar species are Vampirolepis artibei (Zdzitowiecki & Rutkowska) (vs. 20–23) and Vampirolepis bidentatus (Zdzitowiecki & Rutkowska) (vs. 18–22) ( Zdzitowiecki & Rutkowska 1980); however, the hooks of our specimens are longer than those of V. artibei (vs. 19–20) and V. bidentatus (16–17). The remaining 18 species recorded in the Americas, Vampirolepis bihamata (Sawada & Harada) , Vampirolepis chiropterophila (Pérez-Vigueras) , Vampirolepis christensoni (Macy) , Vampirolepis crassihamata (Sawada & Harada) , Vampirolepis dalvae (dos Santos, Simões, D´Andrea, Verde, Maldonado Júnior, Cartagena, Ubiali & Luque), Vampirolepis decipiens (Diesing) , Vampirolepis elongatus (Rego) , Vampirolepis gertschi (Macy) , Vampirolepis guarany (Rego) , Vampirolepis longisccata (Sawada & Harada) , V. macroti , Vampirolepis mazanensis (Vaucher) , Vampirolepis pandoensis (Sawada & Harada) , Vampirolepis phyllostomi (Vaucher) , Vampirolepis promopsis (Vaucher) , Vampirolepis roudabushi (Macy & Rausch) , Vampirolepis santacruzensis (Sawada & Harada) , and Vampirolepis temmincki (Vaucher) , have differences in the number and the length of rostellar hooks compared with the studied specimens. This study adds the first record of the genus Vampirolepis for R. parvula in Mexico.

Vampirolepis sp. (2)

Site of infection: Small intestine

Host: Rhogeessa parvula

Locality: Cleofas (21°19’19.3” N, 106°14’41.6” W, 98 MASL), Islas Marías , Nayarit

Prevalence and intensity: 33.3% (1/3) and 3

Specimen deposited: CNHE 12137

GenBank accession number: PQ476179

Comments: Based on one immature specimen and one scolex observed at SEM. Scolex 168 in diameter. Suckers unarmed, 66 in diameter ( Figures 2E , 3C ). Rostellum broad, 65‒70 in diameter, armed with 17‒18 hooks in single row ( Figures 2E , 3D ). Hook length 30‒32. These characteristics closely resemble Vampirolepis sp. (1); however, the phylogenetic position and genetic distance (see phylogenetic section) of the 28S rRNA sequences confirm that they are different species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Helminths of bats from Nayarit and Veracruz, Mexico. A) Adult of Anenterotrema cf. hastati, ventral view. B) Adult of Urotrema scabridum, ventral view. C) Scolex of Vampirolepis macroti, apical view. D) Scolex of Vampirolepis sp. (1), apical view. E) Scolex of Vampirolepis sp. (2), lateral view. F) Male posterior extremity of Capillariidae gen. sp., ventral view. G) Esophagus-intestine junction and vulva of female Capillariidae gen. sp., lateral view. Scale bars: A, C, D, E = 100 μm; B = 1000 μm; F = 10 μm; G = 65 μm.

FIGURE 3. Scanning electron micrographs of Vampirolepis sp. (1) (A‒B) and Vampirolepis sp. (2) (C‒D).A) Scolex, lateral view. B) Rostelum, apical view. C) Scolex, lateral view. D) Rostelum, apical view. Scale bars: A, C = 100 μm; B = 40 μm; D = 50 μm.