PUDICINAE (NEMATODA: HELIGMONELLIDAE) PARASITIC IN ENDEMIC CHILEAN RODENTS (CAVIOMORPHA: OCTODONTIDAE AND ABROCOMIDAE): DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES AND EMENDED DESCRIPTION OF PUDICA DEGUSI (BABERO AND CATTAN) N. COMB.

SERRANO, P. C.; NOTARNICOLA, JULIANA; DIGIANI, M.C.; LANDAETA-AQUEVEQUE C; SERRANO, P. C.; NOTARNICOLA, JULIANA; DIGIANI, M.C.; LANDAETA-AQUEVEQUE C

JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY

AMER SOC PARASITOLOGISTS

Lugar: Washington, Estados Unidos; Año: 2017 vol. 103 p. 736 - 746

0022-3395

We report the finding of two species of Pudica (Nematoda:Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae) in two rodents endemic to Chile, the Common Degu Octodondegus (Octodontidae)and the Bennett?s Chinchilla Rat Abrocoma bennettii (Abrocomidae). Pudicadegusi (Babero andCattan, 1975) n. comb., originally described as a species of Longistriata (Heligmosomidae), was foundin the Common Degu; through the study of its synlophe, the species is reassignedto the Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae and the genus Pudica, and is revalidatedthrough comparison with the remaining species of the genus. Pudica cattani n. sp. is described from bothO. degus and A. bennettii. It is characterized by its large body size, basic bursal pattern oftype 1-3-1, synlophe with 11 ridges including a careen, dorsal ray of the bursadividing proximally and bursal rays 9 and 10 relatively short. Pudica degusi and Pudica cattani n. sp. were found in thesame host species but not as coparasitic in the same individuals. The CommonDegu is confirmed as the sole and primary host of Pudica degusi. It is unlikely that it isthe primary host for Pudica cattani n. sp., whose host affinities are less clear,mainly due to the scarcity of data. Pudica cattani n. sp. is the firsthelminth reported from the Bennett?s Chinchilla Rat. Both findings enlarge the host range of the Pudicinaeto the families Octodontidae and Abrocomidae, i.e. nine out of the 11 extantfamilies of caviomorphs, thereby establishing this nematode subfamily astypical parasites of the  Neotropical Hystricognathi.