Travassostrongylus sp.

Panti-May, Jesús Alonso, Chan-Casanova, Anyela Jackelin, Canche-Pool, Elsy, Tello-Martín, Raúl, Ruiz-Piña, Hugo, Concha-Guillermo, Henry, Guiascón, Oscar Retana-, Vega, Pedro Pablo Martínez, Chablé-Santos, Juan, Martínez, Erendira Estrella-, Moguel-Chin, Wilson Isaias, Hernández-Orts, Jesús S., Hernández-Mena, David I., Mendoza-Garfias, Berenit & García-Prieto, Luis, 2024, Morphological and molecular data on helminths of Didelphis virginiana and Philander vossi (Mammalia: Didelphidae) from the Yucatán Peninsula, southeast Mexico, Zootaxa 5463 (1), pp. 1-24 : 9-10

Travassostrongylus sp.

Site of infection: Small intestine.

Host species: Didelphis virginiana .

Localities: Umán, Mérida (Yucatán) and Chencoh (Campeche).

Prevalence: 50% (3/6).

Mean intensity: 7.3 (range 2‒17).

Specimens deposited: CNHE 12880‒12882.

GenBank accession number: PP662462.

Comments: The characteristics of the studied nematodes agree with those established for the genus Travassostrongylus ( Durette-Desset 2009) . Coiled nematodes with 10 continuous ridges at midbody in both sexes. Five dorsal and five ventral ridges, orientated from right to left and symmetrically arranged with respect to frontal axis; ridges absent from lateral fields ( Figure 4C ). Male 4,190 ‒5,040 in body length. Male with caudal bursa subsymmetrical and a pattern type of 2-1-2. Dorsal ray short. Rays 10 shorter than rays 9 ( Figure 4D ). Spicules subequal, short, bi-radiate at end point, 110‒135 long. Gubernaculum 35‒40 long. Female body length 5,050‒6825. Didelphic female with prominent anterior lip. Eggs ovoid, 60‒65 long by 32‒40 wide. The genus Travassostrongylus comprises 11 species ( Hodda 2022): Travassostrongylus callis (Travassos) , Travassostrongylus orloffi Travassos , Travassostrongylus tertiuos Travassos , Travassostrongylus quatour Texeira de Freitas , Travassostrongylus quintus Texeira de Freitas , Travassostrongylus sextus Texeira de Freitas , Travassostrongylus travassosi Durette-Desset , Travassostrongylus paranquintus Durette-Desset , Travassostrongylus tourei Diaw , Travassostrongylus yungaensis Navone, Suriano & Pujol , and Travassostrongylus scheibelorum Scheibel, Catzeflis & Jiménez. The studied specimens closely resemble T. callis . However, T. callis has a larger gubernaculum (94 vs 35‒40). Also, the distal end of the spicules of our specimens is simple whereas that of T. callis end with exposed lamina ( Diaw 1976). Based on these differences, the specimens from the Yucatán Peninsula could represent a species not described yet.

Only one species of Travassostrongylus has been reported from opossums in Mexico: T. orloffi from D. marsupialis in Veracruz ( Scheibel et al. 2014).Also, an unidentified species of Travassostrongylus has been recorded in Didelphis sp. in Chiapas ( Acosta-Virgen et al. 2015). The present study adds the first record of Travassostrongylus in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Male caudal bursa of Viannaia arriguensis from Philander vossi, ventral view. B. Male caudal bursa of Viannaia sp. from Didelphis virginiana, ventral view. C. Cross section at midbody showing features of the synlophe of male Travassostrongylus sp. from Didelphis virginiana. D. Male caudal bursa of Travassostrongylus sp. from Didelphis virginiana, ventral view. E. Anterior end of female Strongyloides sp. from Philander vossi, ventral view. F. Female tail of Strongyloides sp. from Philander vossi showing the anus, lateral view. G. Vulva of Strongyloides sp. from Philander vossi, lateral view. Abbreviations: anus (a), egg (e), intestine (i), spicule (s), vulva (v), dorsal ray (dr), esophagus (es).