Unoculubranchiobdella sp. (Hirudinea: Ozobranchidae) as a vector for Haemogregarina spp. in freshwater turtles from Brazil.

Species of Haemogregarina are blood parasites known to parasitise vertebrate hosts, including fishes (Haemogregarina sensu lato) and freshwater turtles (Haemogregarina sensu stricto). Their vectors, include gnathiid isopods and leeches, respectively. In turtles, Haemogregarina balli has the best-characterized life cycle in the genus.

Discovery of a novel symbiotic lineage associated with a hematophagous leech from the genus .

Unlabelled: Similarly to other strict blood feeders, leeches from the genus (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) have established a symbiotic association with bacteria harbored intracellularly in esophageal bacteriomes. Previous genome sequence analyses of these endosymbionts revealed co-divergence with their hosts, a strong genome reduction, and a simplified metabolism largely dedicated to the production of B vitamins, which are nutrients lacking from a blood diet. ' Providencia siddallii' has been identified as the obligate nutritional endosymbiont of a monophyletic clade of Mexican and South American spp.

MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE LEECH GENUS PONTOBDELLA (HIRUDINIDA: PISCICOLIDAE) WITH NOTES ON PONTOBDELLA CALIFORNIANA AND PONTOBDELLA MACROTHELA.

Leech specimens of the genus Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) were found off the coast of the state of Oaxaca (Pacific) as well as in Veracruz and Tabasco (Gulf of Mexico), Mexico. Based on the specimens collected in Oaxaca, a redescription of Pontobdella californiana is provided, with emphasis on the differences in the reproductive organs with the original description of the species. In addition, leech cocoons assigned to P.

Evolution of an Alternative Genetic Code in the Providencia Symbiont of the Hematophagous Leech Haementeria acuecueyetzin.

Strict blood-feeding animals are confronted with a strong B-vitamin deficiency. Blood-feeding leeches from the Glossiphoniidae family, similarly to hematophagous insects, have evolved specialized organs called bacteriomes to harbor symbiotic bacteria. Leeches of the Haementeria genus have two pairs of globular bacteriomes attached to the esophagus which house intracellular "Candidatus Providencia siddallii" bacteria.

New species of Foleyellides (Nematoda: Onchocercidae: Waltonellinae), parasite of Lithobates brownorum (Amphibia: Ranidae) from South-eastern Mexico and genetic barcodes of the Mexican species of the genus.

Specimens of Foleyellides were collected from the body cavity of frogs in different regions of Mexico; Lithobates brownorum from Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Campeche; L. megapoda from Jalisco and Rhinella marina, from Guerrero. Foleyellides calakmulesis n.

Diversity of myxozoans (Cnidaria) infecting Neotropical fishes in southern Mexico.

Myxozoans are a unique group of microscopic parasites that infect mainly fishes. These extremely reduced cnidarians are highly diverse and globally distributed in freshwater and marine habitats. Myxozoan diversity dimension is unknown in Mexico, a territory of an extraordinary biological diversity.

Temporal variation in helminth infracommunities of the Gafftopsail pompano, Trachinotus rhodopus (Pisces: Carangidae) off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Temporal variation of the helminth infracommunity structure in the Gafftopsail pompano Trachinotus rhodopus was studied during bi-monthly revisions of samples collected offshore from Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca (Mexican Pacific) in 2018. In total, 110 specimens of T. rhodopus were subjected to a parasitic review.

Phylogenetic relationships and species delimitation in Haemopis (Annelida: Hirudinea: Haemopidae).

The Holarctic leech genus Haemopis currently includes 11 species, all of which are macrophagous, as opposed to their more infamous bloodfeeding counterparts among hirudiniform leeches. In spite of their ecological importance as fish food and predators of freshwater invertebrates, there is a paucity of data regarding morphology and genetic variation that might guide future identification efforts for members of the genus. The lack of detailed descriptions of distinguishing morphological features, coupled with the absence of a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus, have conspired to prevent meaningful inferences on the natural history of the group.

A new species of Hystrignathus (Nematoda: Thelastomatoidea: Hystrignathidae) associated with the Bess Beetle Passalus Interruptus Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from The Peruvian Amazonia.

Bess beetles (Passalidae) are known to maintain biological interactions with a diverse gut symbiotic community, which is far from being well described since these communities from most of the species of Passalidae have not been studied. In order to improve our knowledge of these communities, we describe a new species of Nematoda of the genus Hystrignathus (Hystrignathidae) associated with Passalus interruptus, a bess beetle species of the tribe Passalini collected in Hunuco, Peru, in the Peruvian Amazonia. Hystrignathus nunashae n.

Finding a needle in a haystack: larval stages of Didymozoidae (Trematoda: Digenea) parasitizing marine zooplankton.

Larval didymozoids (Trematoda: Digenea) were discovered parasitizing the hemocoel of the heteropod Firoloida desmarestia (redia mean intensity = 13) and the chaetognaths Flaccisagitta enflata and Flaccisagitta hexaptera (metacercaria mean intensity = 1) during a 2014-2016 systematic study of parasites of zooplankton collected in the central and southern regions of the Gulf of California, Mexico. Didymozoid infection route during the early life cycle was inferred combining morphological (light microscopy) and molecular (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, cox1) evidence. Didymozoid rediae parasitizing F.

PERUANOCOTYLE PELAGICA N. SP. (MONOGENEA: MONOCOTYLIDAE), PARASITE OF THE PACIFIC COWNOSE RAY RHINOPTERA STEINDACHNERI EVERMANN AND JENKINS, 1891 (BATOIDEA: RHINOPTERIDAE) FROM THE SOUTHERN MEXICAN PACIFIC OCEAN.

Peruanocotyle pelagica n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from the wall of the pharyngeal cavity of the Pacific cownose ray Rhinoptera steindachneri offshore Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico.

Rickettsia spp. in ticks from a tropical dry forest reserve on Mexico's Pacific Coast.

The present study analyzes the diversity of bacteria of the genus Rickettsia in ticks collected from wild mammals and vegetation at the Chamela Biological Station (EBCh), Jalisco, Mexico, a core area in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, which is characterized by the presence of tropical dry forest, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Ticks were collected during April and November 2018 and 2019, determined to species, and subsequently processed for rickettsiae. Genomic DNA was extracted from each of 349 ticks (198 from mammals, 151 from vegetation) and screened for Rickettsia by targeting the gltA and ompA genes.

Helminth Fauna of (Actinopterygii: Scombridae) in Southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico.

From January to May 2015, a sample of 50 individuals of the Pacific sierra Jordan and Starks, 1895 captured off Mazatlán (southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico) were reviewed for helminths. A total of 6, 255 parasitic worms belonging to 11 species (9 in adult stage and 2 larvae) were obtained. Trematoda was the best represented group with 6 species of Didymozoidae Monticelli, 1888 and 1 of Bucephalidae Poche, 1907.

Phylogenetic position of Acanthobothrium cleofanus (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea) using molecular evidence.

Despite the large number of species described to date for the onchoprotepcephalid genus Acanthobothrium (207), only 16 named species have a genetic sequence. With this background, specimens of adult cestodes of the stingray Hypanus longus were collected off San Blas, Nayarit, and onchoproteocephalid larvae in the carangid fish Trachinotus rhodopus from Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, both located on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The objective of this work is to investigate the phylogenetic position of these adults and larvae using nuclear ribosomal markers (18S rDNA and 28S rDNA).

The potential of aquatic bloodfeeding and nonbloodfeeding leeches as a tool for iDNA characterisation.

Leeches play important roles in food webs due to their abundance, diversity and feeding habits. Studies using invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) extracted from leech gut contents to target vertebrate DNA have focused on the Indo-Pacific region and mainly leveraged the leech family Haemadipsidae, composed of bloodfeeding terrestrial leeches, while predatory, fluid/tissue-feeding and aquatic bloodfeeding species have been largely disregarded. While there is some general knowledge regarding the taxonomic groups that leeches prefer to feed on, detailed taxonomic resolution is missing and, therefore, their potential use for monitoring animals is unknown.

Segmented worms (Phylum Annelida): a celebration of twenty years of progress through Zootaxa and call for action on the taxonomic work that remains.

Zootaxa has been the leading journal on invertebrate systematics especially within Annelida. Our current estimates indicate annelids include approximately 20,200 valid species of polychaetes, oligochaetes, leeches, sipunculans and echiurans. We include herein the impact of Zootaxa on the description of new annelid species in the last two decades.

Molecular Identification of Plerocercoids of Clistobothrium montaukensis (Cestoda: Phyllobothriidea) Parasitizing the King of Herrings Regalecus glesne.

Purpose: Endo-parasites of the bathypelagic king of herrings Regalecus glesne and oarfish Regalecus russelii are only known from few specimens opportunistically examined. As a consequence, there are few records of parasites from either Regalecus species. We report plerocercoid larvae of phyllobothriidean cestodes parasitizing an adult R.

Mitogenome of the blood feeding leech (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) from Tabasco, Mexico.

Here, we present the mitogenome of the blood feeding leech (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) based on specimens collected in Tabasco, Mexico. The circular genome is 14,985 bp in length, and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an AT-rich control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes places sister to within the family Glossiphoniidae.

Molecular Phylogeny of Thelastomatoidea (Nematoda) with the Description of a New Genus and Two New Species of Hystrignathidae Associated with Bess Beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Bess beetles (Passalidae) display important roles in forestall ecosystems, particularly in energy extraction from dead wood. These organisms maintain complex biological interactions with their gut symbiotic communities, including bacteria, protists, and metazoans. Very little is known about symbionts since most of the species of Passalidae haven't been studied from a parasitological point of view.

Morphological and molecular data reveal a new species of Lueheia (Acanthocephala: Plagiorhynchidae) from Turdus migratorius (Turdidae) in central Mexico and its phylogenetic implications within the family.

Members of the genus Lueheia Travassos, 1919, are endoparasites of birds, particularly passerines, throughout the Americas. Adults of Lueheia sp., (Plagiorhynchidae Golvan, 1960; Porrorchinae Golvan, 1956) were recovered from the intestine of the American robin (Turdus migratorius phillipsi Bangs) in Mexico City, and two other species of acanthocephalans identified as Porrorchis nickoli, (Plagiorhynchidae: Porrorchinae) Salgado-Maldonado and Cruz-Reyes, 2002 and Centrorhynchus microcephalus (Bravo-Hollis, 1947) Golvan, 1956 (Centrorhynchidae Van Cleave, 1916), were recovered from the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana Allen) and groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris Swainson), respectively in southeastern Mexico.

New records of Ichthyostraca Zrzavý, Hypša amp; Vlášková, 1997 (Pancrustacea) from Mexico with an annotated checklist of North America.

In this work, we document for the first time four species of Ichthyostraca in Mexico, one Branchiura: Argulus foliaceus (fish parasite), and three Pentastomida: Porocephalus clavatus (reptile parasite), Raillietiella hebitihamata (reptile parasite) and Raillietiella orientalis (frog parasite). In addition, a total of 11 new host records and 16 new localities are presented for Ichthyostraca in Mexico. Based on the compilation of published information and on specimens deposited in scientific collections, the first checklist of Ichthyostraca from North America (Canada, United States of America and Mexico) is compiled.