Argulus ventanensis sp. n. (Crustacea; Branchiura) parasite of Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles (Anura; Hylidae)

VILLEGAS OJEDA MA; TANZOLA RD

Pan American Journal of Aquatic Sciences

Electronic Peer-Reviewed Scientif Journal Editorial Board

Año: 2017 vol. 12 p. 218 - 226

Argulus ventanensis is described, illustrated and proposed as a new species of crustacean branchiuran ectoparasite of Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles. The sample comes from the Belisario stream in Villa Ventana, Buenos Aires province, Argentina (38° 4´ S, 61° 55´ W). The most striking morphological differences between A. violaceus, a sympatric congener, and the specimens under study are the body size, development of the lateral sinus, extension and armature of antennae, armature of the rods supporting the suckers, the proportional length of the second antennal segment in respect to the third, the length of the flagellae on the first and second legs, the basal plate of maxillae, the number of setae on the caudal rami and the form of the respiratory area. Also it differs from A. patagonicus in the development of the carapace that only covers the first two pairs of legs, the general coloration, the form of the post maxillary spines, spatulate versus pointed, the flagellae on the first and the second pair of legs and the number of setae on the caudal rami. The present constitutes a new biotic association between branchiurans and amphibian hosts.