Hastospiculum nordestinum, Ferreira-Silva & Alcantara & Ávila & Silva, 2020

Ferreira-Silva, Cristiana, Alcantara, Edna P., Ávila, Robson W. & Silva, Reinaldo J., 2020, A new species of Hastospiculum Skrjabin (Spirurida: Diplotriaenidae) parasite of Xenodon merremii (Walger in Spix) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 4878 (2), pp. 362-374 : 364-369

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4878.2.9
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3385A518-3988-4F4A-9F39-9E569FB32F33
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4562574
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D541281A-EF7A-FFC0-FF1E-07147998F924
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Hastospiculum nordestinum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp.

( Figs. 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DECDAB88-12A8-4C98-B1CE-B9B759A1C354

Description (based on 4 adult males, and 5 adult females). White coloration in vivo, body long, cylindrical, wider in anterior end, slightly tapering at posterior end. Cuticle striated transversely provided with protruding quitinized thickening, irregular in shape and arrangement ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ). Mouth elongated, dorsoventrally directed, with two small quitinized tooth-like projections laterally situated ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Small oral cavity. Four large cephalic papillae: one laterodorsal and one lateroventral pairs. One pair of amphids lateral to tooth-like projections ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Esophagus distinctly divided into two sections: a short anterior muscular section, and a long thick glandular portion ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Nerve ring transverse to muscular esophagus ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ).

Male (based on the holotype, and 3 paratypes). Body 17.3–35.1 mm (18.1 mm) length by 385.7–726.5 (385.7) width; body width at nerve ring level 316.3–481.1 (316.3); at alae region 136.8–181.9 (171.1). Muscular esophagus length 147.2–294.4 (165.7); Glandular esophagus length 4.0– 4.6 mm (4.0 mm); body width 355.7–583.1 (365.1) at glandular esophagus-intestine junction level. Nerve ring 119.1–149.3 (130.8) from anterior end. Caudal end with pre- and postcloacal papillae; caudal lateral alae not surrounding the tail end, unconnected ( Fig. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ). Cloaca 83.9–133.3 (90.4) from posterior end. Eight pairs of pedunculated caudal papillae [three precloacal, one paracloacal, and four postcloacal pairs (1 larger and 3 small pairs at terminal end)]. Two phasmids on each side of the tail apex ( Fig. 1G View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 ). Three adcloacal sessile papillae: one anterior unpaired and two lateral ( Fig. 1E, G View FIGURE 1 , 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ). Two unequal spicules; left substantially longer than right; [719.6–902.4 (719.6) and 247.4–272.9 (272.9), respectively]. Gubernaculum absent ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ).

Female (based on the allotype, and 4 paratypes). Body 23.8–62.4 mm (62.4 mm) length by 450.6–712.5 (698.4) width; body width 302.8–514.2 (514.2) at nerve ring level. Muscular esophagus length 221.2–283.3 (221.2). Glandular esophagus length 4.1–7.2 mm (4.4 mm); body width 396.4–702.5 (569.6) at glandular esophagus-intestine junction level. Nerve ring 113.7–145.4 (125.7) from anterior end. Didelphic, opisthodelphic, vulva without protruding lips ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ), 168.3–506.7 (382.9) from anterior end ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Vagina 796.7–1617.2 (1617.2) long, by 134.2–244.5 (225.2) wide, strongly muscular, with glandular portion at anterior extreme 478.4–638.5 (638.5) ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Posterior end slightly conical, anus subterminal ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ), located 34.2–84.1 (65.1) from posterior end. Embryonated eggs, spherical, with two layers, the inner thin and dense and the external thick and hyaline, 53.4–55.9 long, 46.5–48.9 wide ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 , 3D View FIGURE 3 ).

Diagnosis. Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. is characterized by possessing two pairs of large cephalic papillae, caudal end ornamented with lateral alae, not surrounding the tail end and unconnected, supported by eight pedunculate pairs of papillae: three precloacal, one paracloacal, and four postcloacal (first pair large and the other three small on tail end) and three sessile papillae adcloacal; left spicule length 719.6–902.4 µm; and a cuticle striated transversely provided with protruding quitinized thickening.

Taxonomic summary.

Type host: Xenodon merremii (Wagler in Spix) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae ).

Type locality: Municipality of Barbalha (7º16’59.0” S, 39º18’37.4” W), Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil GoogleMaps .

Site of infection: Body cavity.

Intensity of infection: 10

Voucher specimens: Holotype male ( CHIOC 38964 View Materials a); allotype female ( CHIOC 38964 View Materials b); paratypes ( CHIOC CHIOC 38964 View Materials c–d). Other vouchers ( CHIBB 9122–9124 ).

Etymology. The epithet of the new species refers to the Northeastern region of Brazil where the snake host was collected.

Remarks. Regarding the left spicule length, Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. most closely resembles H. bipinnatum (1.01 mm), H. cubaense (0.86 mm), H. digiticaudum (0.97–1.13 mm), H. gouldi (1.1 mm), H. uncertenum (1.2 mm), and H. venezuelense (1.3 mm). In other Hastospiculum species, the left spicule is 2 to 4 times longer than in Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). Among these similar species, only H. digiticaudum has male caudal alae not surrounding the tail end and are not connected, as recorded in Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. However, H. digiticaudum differs from Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. in the arrangement and number of caudal papillae, since it presents only five pairs of pedunculated papillae, three precloacal, one pair paracloacal, and one postcloacal (vs. eight pairs of pedunculated caudal papillae present in Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp.). Therefore, our species is unique, justifying the description of a new species for the genus Hastospiculum .

Among the species of Hastospiculum recorded in Brazil, only H. onchocercum has been recorded in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. This species differs from Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp. by the following characteristics: the presence of four pairs of cephalic papillae (vs. two pairs in the new species), caudal alae surrounding the tail end (vs. free tail in Hastospiculum nordestinum n. sp.), one pair of conical processes at the end of the tail (vs. absent in the new species described herein), and by the left spicule length (1.84–2.2 mm vs. 0.7–0.9 mm, respectively).

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