More species of parasitic nematodes from Bolivian mammals

GARDNER, S.L., A. JIMENEZ-RUIZ & J. NOTARNICOLA

Nueva Mexico, USA

Jornada; 87th Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogist; 2007

Filarioids are parasitic nematodes inhabiting body cavities and tissues of diverse species of mammals. Species of the family Onchocercidae have been reported from every country in South America. Up to the present time, from Bolivia, only two species of the genus Litomosoides had been reported from rodents of the family Ctenomyidae. Here we report 9 additional species of filarioid nematodes from Bolivian mammals. Two of these 9 species reported here, are new species and await formal description. Skrjabinofilaria skrjabini was recovered from Philander opossum, and from Micoureus cinerea (Marsupialia, Didelphidae). Orihelia sp. in the anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Xenarthra, Myrmecophagidae). Molinema proechimyis was recovered from the spiny rat Proechimys sp. (Rodentia, Echimyidae), and also from the sigmodontines Oryzomys keaysi, and Holochilus sp. Litomosoides brasiliensis was found in the bats Carollia brevicauda, C. perspicillata, Sturnira lilium (Phyllostomidae), and Lonchophyla thomasi; Litomosoides hamletti from Glossophaga soricina (Phyllostomidae); Litomosoides chandleri from Sturnira lilium, and Litomosoides esslingeri was recovered from the sigmodontine rodents Oecomys mamorae, Oligoryzomys microtis, Eligmodontia typus, Holochilus brasiliensis, and Calomys lepidus. Dipetalonema yatesi n. sp. was found in the spider monkey Ateles chamek (Primates, Atelidae), and Litomosoides n. sp. 1 was found in Lasiurus ega (Vespertilionidae). Only one female of Orihelia was collected, thus specific diagnosis was not possible. Orihelia anticlava, the unique species described in the genus, was reported only in Dasypodidae, and here for the first time in Myrmecophagidae. Species of Molinema were reported from 2 families of Caviomorph rodents. Herein, the presence of males and mature females with microfilariae in two sigmodontine rodents indicates a host switch, as was reported for Litomosoides. In contrast, up to the present time, species in the genera Skrjabinofilaria, Orihelia, and Dipetalonema have not been reported to host-switch.