Catatropis chilinae n. sp. (Digenea: Notocotylidae) from Chilina dombeiana (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) and notes on its life cycle in Patagonia, Argentina.

FLORES V., BRUGNI N.

SYSTEMATIC PARASITOLOGY

Kluwer Academic Publisher

Lugar: London; Año: 2003 vol. 52 p. 89 - 96

0165-5752

A new species of Catatropis from a freshwater pulmonate snail of Chilinidae family, endemic to South America, is described. Naturally infected Chilina dombeiana were collected from several localities in Andean Patagonia. Characteristics of larval stages are given. Experimental adults located at distal portion of intestinal caeca were recovered from chicken and ducks. Adults of Catatropis  chilinae n. sp. can be distinguished from all other species in having 9-11 (10) ventral glands, cirrus sac extending between the first third to half of the body, metraterm slightly shorter or equal than cirrus sac, vitellaria reaching the body half, testis border lobed, genital pore lying close behind caecal bifurcation. Eggs bear polar filaments only on the opposite side to operculum. Rediae have one or two cercariae. Shed cercariae are trioculate with a long tail, encysting in the environment and metacercariae become infective 72 hours after encystment. This species is widely distributed between 40º 10’S and 43º 09’ S and it is the first Catatropis species recorded for Chilinidae and for Argentina.