Pritchardia boliviensis, Scott L. Gardner & F. Agustín Jiménez & Mariel L. Campbelll, 2013

Scott L. Gardner, F. Agustín Jiménez & Mariel L. Campbelll, 2013, Pritchardia boliviensis N. Gen., N. Sp. (Anoplocephalidae: Linstowinae) a tapeworm from opossums (Didelphidae) in the yungas and lowlands of Bolivia and Atlantic forest of Paraguay, Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech University 319, pp. 1-8 : 4-6

Pritchardia boliviensis n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

General (based on 38 whole mounts).—Strobilae small consisting of no more than three acraspedote proglottids. Total length 652 – 1,829 (1,304, 21%, n=30). Scolex unarmed, calyciform, conspicuously wider than proglottids 192 – 397 (285, 18%, n=34) long, 227 – 479, (376, 17%, n=35) wide. Suckers oval, with complete, thick muscular walls 66 – 199 (147, 27%, n=134) long, 69 – 216 (155, 22%, n=136) wide. Suckers not able to retract into pockets and no tissue evident that would act as pockets for suckers. Neck absent. First proglottid not differentiated from scolex 49 – 415 (191, 66%, n=32) long, 37 – 409 (238, 50%, n=32) wide. Genital Anlagen visible in first segment and, depending on age of specimen, showing varying degrees of development, with different level of development in each specimen. Second proglottid, mature, 99 – 313 (189, 28%, n=35) long and 19 – 471 (261, 51%, n=34) wide. Third proglottid, gravid, 226 – 1,285 (789, 40%, n=27) long, 174 – 382 (265, 20%, n=27) wide. Through strobila, genital pores appear to alternate sides regularly. Genital pore located in anterior quarter of proglottid. Genital ducts crossing osmoregulatory canals ventrally.

Female reproductive system.—Ovary diffuse, reticulate, transversally elongated from medial part of segment toward proximal part of cirrus sac and situated posterior to cirrus sac and seminal receptacle. Mehlis’ gland appears dorsal to vitelline gland. Vitelline gland located near distal part of segment, usually medial, appearing diffuse with duct exiting dorsad passing through Mehlis’ gland traveling to join oviduct just distal to seminal receptacle. Vagina originating dorsally at genital pore about 5 µm antiporal and directed mediad and expanding to form a seminal receptacle just past cirrus sac. Seminal receptacle provided with a single duct directed posteriad branching almost immediately with oviduct directed posteriad then turning anteriad toward ovary. Branch to uterus not seen. Uterus immediately developing single egg capsules in gravid segments. Eggs scattered through medulla of proglottid, rarely filling whole segment. Onchospheres 36 – 55 (44, 14%, n=19) in diameter. Egg 20 – 30 (23, 11%, n=19). Handle of embryonic hooks 5 – 8 (7, 13%, n=8) long and blade 3 – 5 (4, 16%, n=8) long ( Fig. 1B ).

Male reproductive system.—Three to five testes, lateral to and mostly anterior to reticulate ovary, visible in 2nd proglottid. Cirrus covered with minute rugose epithelium (arrow in Fig. 1C ), convoluted within cirrus sac when invaginated. Cirrus sac ranging from almost circular to pyriform in shape; longitudinal axis of cirrus sac forming right angle with lateral margin of proglottid, in mature proglottids sac 60 – 130 (88, 17%, n=33) long, 41 – 59 (51, 8%, n=34) wide; duct 18 – 61 (27, 33%, n=31) long; in gravid proglottids sac 63 – 106 (85, 14%, n=24) long, 23 – 60 (51, 14%, n=24) wide, duct short 11 – 35 (24, 26%, n=25). Testes almost circular in outline 14-38 (28, 31%, n=8 by 17-38 (28, 27%, n=8). From testes, vasa efferentia connecting to a short vas deferens and then to a well developed external seminal vesicle which then connects via an exceptionally long and convoluted seminal duct, surrounded by glandular tissue. This duct then connects to the cirrus sac.

Taxonomic Summary

Type Host.— Marmosops noctivagus (Tschudi 1844 ) [white-bellied slender opossum ].

Type Locality.— Bolivia: Cochabamba: 9.5 km by road NE of Tablas Monte, Río Jatun Mayu ; 17º02'29" S, 65º59'05" W (by GPS); 1500 m.

Symbiotype (see Frey et al. 1992).— Marmosops noctivagus , MSB catalog number MSB70278, Division of Biological Materials, New Mexico cryovoucher number (NK) NK30324. Collected on 14 July 1993.

Parasymbiotypes (from localities other than type locality and type host).— Metachirus nudicaudatus (Geoffroy 1803) [brown four-eyed opossum ]; collection locality: Bolivia, La Paz, La Reserva: lat. 15º44' S, 67º31'W; 840 m. Colección Boliviana de Fauna (CBF) catalog number CBF2310, Division of Biological Materials, New Mexico cryovoucher number NK25551. Collected on 24 July 1992. Gracilinanus sp., collection locality: Paraguay: Alto Paraná: Estación Biológica Limoy (Parcela 2): lat. 24º43'52.1" S, long. 54º24'42.4" W; 230m. Collected on 15 March 2008. Texas Tech Museum number (TK) TK192462. Marmosops dorthea (Thomas 1911) , collection locality: Bolivia: Santa Cruz, 3.5 km w. Pailón, estación on railroad: lat. 17º39' S, long. 62º45' W; 300 m. MSB55070, NK12286. Collected on 24 September 1984. Marmosops noctivagus , collection locality same as type locality. MSB catalog number MSB70279, NK30340. Collected on 16 July 1993. Other specimens examined from hosts not in host parasymbiotype series: Marmosops noctivagus , collection locality same as type locality. MSB catalog number MSB140355, NK30327. Collected on 15 July 1993.

Parasite Specimens Deposited.—HOLOTYPE HWML49845, New Mexico cryovoucher number (host NK no.) NK30324, specimen labeled “a” on slide; PARATYPES (three specimens mounted on same slide as holotype from host no. NK30324), labeled as “c, d, e”. Additional paratype slides: HWML49271 (one slide from host no. Texas Tech (TK) TK129462), seven slides labeled as HWML49272 (from host no. TK129462), and four slides with 17 specimens (HWML49847 from host no. NK30324), 15 specimens on four slides labeled as HWML49848 from host no. NK30327, and 20 specimens on five slides labeled as HWML49849 from host no. NK30340. FIOCRUZ- CHIOC37318-19 (host nos. NK22551 and TK 129462), UNAM-CNHE6422 (host no. NK25551), UNAM-CN- HE6423 (host no. TK129462), and USNPC103071-72 (host no. NK25551 and no. TK129462).

Site of Infection in Host.—Anterior portion of small intestine, duodenum.

Etymology.—The species is named after the country of Bolivia from which the first specimens were discovered.

Remarks.— Pritchardia boliviensis n. sp. can be separated from all other species of anoplocephalid cestodes known on the basis of the extremely small strobila, the acraspedote proglottids, small number of testes, a reticulate ovary, the presence of an external seminal vesicle separated from the cirrus sac by a convoluted glandular seminal duct, the presence of a well developed seminal receptacle, and an almost round cirrus sac. In addition, P. boliviensis has a reticulate ovary and a relatively diffuse vitellarium and both immature and mature proglottids (1 st and 2nd) are wider than long.

Figures

Figure 1. Pritchardia boliviensis n. gen. n. sp. A) Photomicrograph of complete specimen. Image shows scolex, Anlagen of genitalia in developing segment just posterior to scolex, mature proglottid, and terminal gravid proglottid. Scale = 100 µm. B) Embryonic hooks from egg capsule in uterus of gravid proglottid. Scale = 10 µm. C) Cirrus. Scale = 10 µm. D) Mature proglottid, showing arrangement of reproductive organs relative to osmoregulatory canals. Scale = 100 µm.