Contracaecum sp.

Dronen, Norman O., Blend, Charles K., Gardner, Scott L. & Jiménez, F. Agustín, 2007, Stictodora cablei n. sp. (Digenea: Heterophyidae) from the royal tern, Sterna maxima (Laridae: Sterninae) from Puerto Rico and the Brazos County area of the Texas Gulf coast, U. S. A., with a list of other endohelminths recovered in Texas, Zootaxa 1432 (1), pp. 35-56 : 48

Contracaecum sp.

Locality: Galveston Bay, Galveston County, Texas, U.S.A., 29 Ο 18' N latitude, 94 Ο 48' W longitude.

Site of infection: Stomach.

Deposited specimens: Voucher specimens (8 specimens) HWML 48511 .

Prevalence: 2 of 4 birds, 50%.

Mean intensity: 8 individuals/infected bird.

Basic comparative description: Based on 6 specimens (3 mature males, 3 immature females). Male worms (mature) 12,350 –13,400 long by 320–420 wide, pharynx 1,800 –1,975 long, and spicules 750–900 long. Female worms (immature, no eggs present) 11,750 –13,050 by 280–400, pharynx 1,650 –1,759 long, and uterine pore 4,050 –4,975 (approximately 35–37% of body length) from anterior end.

Remarks. This represents a new host record for a species of Contracaecum Railliet & Henry, 1912 and is the first report of a nematode from the royal tern. No mature females of Contracaecum sp. were found in birds, and the poor quality of our specimens prevented us from making a specific identification.