Notopentorchis javanica ( Hübscher, 1937 ) Baer, 1959

Georgiev, Boyko B., 2017, Redescriptions of four Palaeotropical species of the cestode genus Notopentorchis Burt, 1938 (Cyclophyllidea: Paruterinidae), Zootaxa 4290 (1), pp. 61-82 : 73-75

Notopentorchis javanica ( Hübscher, 1937) Baer, 1959

( Fig. 6 )

Synonym: Paruterina javanica Hübscher, 1937

Type host: Hemiprocne longipennis (Rafinesque) , syn. Macropteryx longipennis (Rafinesque) ( Apodiformes : Hemiprocnidae ).

Site: small intestine.

Type locality: Jombang (Djombang), Java Island, Indonesia.

Specimens studied: syntypes, stained in hydrochloric carmine, 12 slides, MHNG-PLAT-41889: scolex in Berlese’s medium (no. 109/21), stained and mounted scolex and strobilar fragments (no. 109/24), two specimens without scoleces (no 109/33, 34), numerous stained and mounted strobilar fragments (nos 109/23, 25), transverse (nos 109/22, 28, 29) and longitudinal sections (nos 109/26, 27, 29-32).

Redescription: Body ribbon-shaped, maximum width of mature proglottides 327–347 (333, n=6), width of pre-gravid proglottides 238–257 (245, n=8). Scolex rounded ( Fig. 6A ); apical part slightly narrowing; maximal diameter at level of suckers 170 (n=1). Rostellum sucker-like, with diameter 110 (n=1); longitudinal muscular fibres present within rostellum. Rostellar hooks 51 (n=1) in number, regularly alternating in two rows. Anterior and posterior rostellar hooks with similar shape and size; posterior rostellar hooks with longer handle than that of anterior hooks. Anterior rostellar hooks 25 (25, n=2) long ( Fig. 6B ). Posterior rostellar hooks 25–27 (27, n=6) long ( Fig. 6C ). Suckers oval, with well-developed musculature, with diameter 78–100 (87, n=4). Scolex not clearly distinguished from neck. Proglottides craspedote, with well-developed velum ( Fig. 6F ). Gravid proglottides wider than long or almost as long as wide. Genital pores alternating irregularly in short series, opening in middle of lateral margin of proglottis, surrounded by glandular cells. Genital atrium conical, short, thick-walled ( Fig. 6E ), 10–15 (13, n=3) deep, with diameter of orifice 5 (5, n=3) and diameter of base 8–10 (9, n=3). Ventral osmoregulatory canals with diameter 10–25 (16, n=9), with transverse anastomosis along posterior margin of each proglottis. Dorsal osmoregulatory canals with diameter 7–15 (10, n=7), without transverse anastomoses. Genital ducts ventral to osmoregulatory canals.

Testes 9–13 (11, n=12) in number, with diameter 35–57 (41, n=12), occupying entire posterior half of proglottis dorsally to female genital glands, may also overlap osmoregulatory canals ( Fig. 6D ). External vas deferens with diameter 8–10 (9, n=2), coiled, forming compact body situated near anterior margin of proglottis in poral part of median field and poral lateral field. Internal vas deferens forming coils in antiporal half of cirrus sac ( Fig. 6E ). Cirrus sac pyriform, 40–88 (58, n=12) long and 20–38 (28, n=11) wide, with thick muscular walls situated obliquely to lateral margin of proglottis, reaching osmoregulatory canals. Evaginated cirrus and armament of ductus cirri not observed.

Vitellarium compact, with irregular shape, 50–83 (60, n=6) wide, situated near posterior margin of proglottis ( Fig. 6D ). Ovary compact, reniform, 67–91 (82, n=13) wide, occupying median field, situated anteriorly and ventrally to vitellarium, slightly poral. Mehlis’ gland not observed. Vagina situated posteriorly, opened posterodorsally to cirrus sac ( Fig. 6E ), connected with seminal receptacle near osmoregulatory canals. Vaginal lumen thinwalled, with diameter 5–8 (7, n=2), surrounded by thick cellular sheath.

Uterus appears as spherical thick-walled structure anteriorly and dorsally (almost at same optical dorso-ventral level of testes) to ovary in late mature proglottides. With increasing size of uterus, testes pushed out laterally and dorsally. Paruterine organ forms as a densification of parenchyma surrounding anterior part of developing uterus. With further development, fibrous and granular elements become distinct in paruterine organ. In pre-gravid and gravid proglottides, uterus and paruterine organ occupying entire median field ( Fig. 6F ). External shell of eggs large, with diameter 38–50 (42, n=11), thin, with irregular shape. Oncosphere with diameter 23–33 (26, n=15), with three pairs of embryonic hooks. Median pair 16–22 (20, n=72) long, internal lateral pair 15–18 (15, n=8) long, external lateral pair 10–13 (11, n=5) long.

Remarks. The re-examination of the syntypes of N. javanica revealed some discrepancies with the original description ( Hübscher 1937). We are not able to provide data about the general length of the body and the number of the proglottides because the mounted material in Canada balsam is fragmented and partly damaged. Nevertheless, we observed substantial metrical and meristic differences relative to the width of the strobila, the number of the rostellar hooks, the size of the cirrus sac and the number of the testes (Table 1). Furthermore, the cirrus sac is described by Hübscher (1937) as crossing poral osmoregulatory canals; the present re-examination has revealed that this observation has been based on damaged (stretched and twisted) fragments, and the cirrus sac is entirely in the poral lateral field or only overlaps osmoregulatory canals but does not cross them in non-damaged fragments. In addition, the ovary is reniform rather than bilobed as characterised in the original description; the reniform shape is supported by fig. 8 accompanying the original description ( Hübscher 1937). There are also minor metrical differences concerning the dimensions of the scolex and the rostellum (Table 1).

Baer (1959) identified specimens from Apus caffer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as N. javanica . Our comparison between the syntypes of N. javanica and the description by Baer (1959) revealed significant morphological differences. Baer’s specimens are characterised by their larger general width of the body, greater length of the posterior rostellar hooks, a cirrus sac not reaching poral osmoregulatory canals (Baer’s fig. 58) and fewer testes (Table 1). Therefore, the material described by Baer (1959) is not conspecific with N. javanica (see also the remarks on N. micropus ).

On the basis of the present redescription and following the opinion of M.D.B. Burt (1969), we consider N. collocaliae and N. javanica as distinct species and reject the synonymy proposed by Baer (1959). In addition to the characters pointed out by M.D.B. Burt (1969), i.e. the difference in the number of the rostellar hooks and the size of the cirrus sac, we can add also the number of the testes (Table 1) and the shape of the ovary, which is irregularly lobate in N. collocaliae (see D.R.R. Burt 1938; M.D.B. Burt 1969) and reniform in N. javanica (present study).

Baer (1959) recognised Sphaeruterina caffrapi Mokhehle, 1951 , a parasite of Apus caffer in the Republic of South Africa ( Mokhehle 1951), as a synonym of N. javanica . In view of the present redescription of the latter species, this synonymy cannot be accepted due to differences in the number of testes, the size of the ovary and the size of the scolex (Table 1). In addition, the testes of S. caffrapi are described as entirely posterior to the ovary (vs. dorsal to ovary in N. javanica and N. micropus ) and the uterus is figured posterior to female gonads (antero-dorsal to ovary in Notopentorchis spp.). As the pattern of the development of the uterus and the paruterine organ corresponds well to the diagnosis of the Notopentorchis (see Spasskaya & Spasskii 1971; Georgiev & Bray 1991; Georgiev & Kornyushin 1994), we transfer this species to the genus Notopentorchis as Notopentorchis caffrapi ( Mokhehle, 1951) n. comb. and consider it as a species inquirenda, pending new examination of cestode parasites from swifts in South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 6 A – F. Notopentorchis javanica (Hübscher, 1937) from Hemiprocne longipennis (Rafinesque), Indonesia. A. Scolex. B. Anterior rostellar hook. C. Posterior rostellar hook. D. Mature proglottis, dorsal view. E. Genital ducts in mature proglottis, dorsal view. F. Gravid proglottis, dorsal view. Scale-bars: A, D, F, 100 µm; B, C, 20 µm; E, 50 µm.