New species of Filaria (Nematoda: Filariidae) in the Lesser grison Galictis cuja (Molina) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) from northern Patagonia, Argentina and comments about the South American species of the genus

BAGNATO, E.; D'AGOSTINO, R.L.; UDRIZAR SAUTHIER, D.E.; DIGIANI, C.

ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS.

ACAD BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS

Lugar: Rio de Janeiro; Año: 2020

0001-3765

Filaria lorenzo n. sp. (Nematoda: Filariidae) is described in the Lesser grison, Galictis cuja (Molina) (Carnivora: Mustelidae) from northern Patagonia, Argentina. The new species can be differentiated from the species of Filaria from the Old World: F. martis, F. hyracis, F. cephalophi, F. russelli, F. bakerhugoti, F. latala, F. melis and F. versterae by the shape of the sclerotized preesophageal ring. The four remaining species of the genus parasitize North and South American Mephitidae and/or Mustelidae. Filaria carvalhoi from Brazil and F. texensis from USA lack a preesophageal ring, whereas F. taxideae from USA and F. conepati from Argentina share with our specimens a preesophageal ring mostly mushroom shaped. Our specimens differ from F. taxideae by lacking lateral alae, by a different ornamentation of the female tail and by the male lacking adcloacal papillae. The new species also differs from F. conepati, by the shape of the preesophageal ring and by the shape of the eggs, which in F. conepati are lemon shaped and thick shelled whereas in our specimens are elliptical and thin shelled. The indirect examination of the types of F. conepati and F. carvalhoi allows us to corroborate the existence of differences between these two species, notably the absence of a preesophageal ring in F. carvalhoi. These differences allow us to refute the synonymy between these two species as proposed by other authors. We confirm that the main character to separate the species is the shape and size of the preesophageal ring, though characters such as the male caudal alae, spicules and papillae arrangement are also useful. Our results extend the taxonomy of Filaria to 13 species and comprise the first report of a filarioid nematode for an Argentinean mustelid, and the first report for Patagonia.