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DOI: 10.2478/s11686-006-0033-5
© 2006 W. Stefañski Institute of Parasitology, PAS
Acta Parasitologica, 2006, 51(3), 213–216; ISSN 1230-2821
A new species of Cosmocerca (Nematoda, Cosmocercidae)
and other helminths from Genyophryne thomsoni
Stefañski
(Anura, Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea
Charles R. Bursey1*, Stephen R. Goldberg2 and Fred Kraus3
1Department
of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146; 2Department of Biology,
Whittier College, Whittier, California 90608; 3Bishop Museum, Department of Natural Sciences, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu,
Hawaii 96817; U.S.A.
Abstract
Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. (Ascaridida, Cosmocercidae) from the large intestine of Genyophryne thomsoni (Anura,
Microhylidae) is described and illustrated. Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. represents the 23rd species assigned to the genus and
the 6th from the Australian realm. Of the 5 Australian species previously described, C. tyleri sp. nov. differs from C. limnodynastes and C. novaeguineae in number of plectanes, 4 pairs in C. tyleri, 5 pairs in C. limnodynastes and C. novaeguineae.
Cosmocerca australis has 3–4 pairs of plectanes, C. archeyi and C. zugi each have 4 pairs of plectanes; however, in each species
the plectanes lie in the fourth quarter of the body and just anterior to the cloaca. In C. tyleri sp. nov. the plectanes lie in the third
quarter of the body and there is significant space between the cloaca and the posterior pair of plectanes.
Key words
Helminths, Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov., Genyophryne thomsoni, Anura, Papua New Guinea
Introduction
Skóra
Thomson’s toothless frog, Genyophryne thomsoni Boulenger,
1890, a burrowing microhylid, is restricted to eastern Papua
New Guinea, Woodlark Island, and the D’Entrecasteaux and
Louisiade Islands (Zweifel 1971, Kraus and Allison 2004). To
our knowledge, there are no helminthological reports for this
species. The purpose of this paper is to describe a new species
of nematode harbored by G. thomsoni and to provide an initial
helminth list for this host.
Materials and methods
ting across the oesophagus and rectum. The oesophagus,
stomach, small intestine, and large intestine of each frog were
examined separately for helminths. The coelome was also
searched. Each helminth, fixed in situ, was cleared in glycerol
on a glass slide and identified from these preparations with a
light microscope. Illustrations were made with the aid of a
microprojector. Measurements are given in micrometers unless otherwise indicated as mean and 1 SD with range in parentheses. Frogs were deposited in the Bernice P. Bishop
Museum (BPBM), Honolulu, Hawaii as BPBM 15336, 15337,
15339–15352.
Results
Sixteen Genophryne thomsoni were collected by hand by FK
in the Cloudy Mountains, Milne Bay Province, Papua New
Guinea (12–26 April 2002, 10.490783°S, 50.23296°E, 715–
800 m) and in the southern Owen Stanley Mountains of the
same province (14 May 2002, 10.2826166°S, 150.1548°E,
590–615 m). Specimens were fixed in neutral buffered 10%
formalin. The body cavity was opened by a longitudinal lateral incision and the gastrointestinal tract was removed by cut-
*Corresponding
Three species of Nematoda, Oswaldocruzia bakeri Moravec
et Sey, 1986, Abbreviata sp. (larvae in cysts), and a new species of Cosmocerca (41 males, 271 females), were found.
Thirteen G. thomsoni (81%) were infected with Cosmocerca
tyleri sp. nov.; of these, 1 had a dual infection of C. tyleri and
O. bakeri and 2 had dual infections of C. tyleri and larvae of
Abbreviata sp. Prevalence, mean intensity, and range by hel-
author: [email protected]
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Charles R. Bursey et al.
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Table I. Site of infection, number of helminths, prevalence, mean intensity, range of infection and USNPC and BPBM accession numbers
for voucher specimens of 3 helminth species from Genyophryne thomsoni from Papua New Guinea
Helminth species
Site of infection
Cosmocerca tyleri sp.nov.
large intestine
Oswaldocruzia bakeri
stomach
Abbreviata sp. (larvae in cysts) stomach wall
Number
Prevalence
Mean intensity ± SD
Range
312
5
3
13/16 (81%)
1/16 (6%)
2/16 (13%)
24.0 ± 13.1
5
1.5 ± 0.7
6–48
–
1–2
minth species are given in Table I. Selected helminths were
deposited in the United States National Parasite Collection
(USNPC), Beltsville, Maryland and the Bernice P. Bishop
Museum (BPBM), Honolulu, Hawaii (Table I). Description of
the new species follows.
Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. (Figs 1–8)
Description: Small fusiform nematodes, prominent sexual
dimorphism, males one-half length of females. Lateral alae
beginning at posterior end of pharynx and terminating on base
of tail in both males and females. Cuticle with punctuations
and, depending upon microscope focus, may appear either
longitudinally or transversely striated. Mouth with 3 small Vshaped lips, dorsal lip with 2 sessile papillae, each ventrolateral lip with 1 sessile papilla and 1 lateral amphid. Oesophagus with short pharynx, cylindrical corpus and posterior bulb
containing valves. Excretory pore anterior to oesophageal
bulb. Vulva near midbody; female reproductive system prodelphic. Male with 2 small spicules, a somewhat triangular
gubernaculum and two rows of plectanes on ventral surface.
Male: Based on holotype and 9 paratypes. Length 1.18 ±
0.13 mm (1.02–1.43 mm), width at level of oesophagointestinal junction 80 ± 13 (55–92). Pharynx 30 ± 3 (27–37) long,
corpus 252 ± 21 (205–281) long, oesophageal bulb 51 ± 3
(46–55) long, 48 ± 3 (43–52) wide. Nerve ring 130 ± 5 (122–
137) and excretory pore 254 ± 14 (238–281) from anterior
end, respectively. Tail generally flexed ventrally, 124 ± 11
(110–146) in length terminating in blunt point. Gubernaculum
V-shaped, 60 ± 2 (58–61) long, heavily sclerotized margins,
distal end pointed. Spicules equal 41 ± 3 (37–43), lightly sclerotized. Nine preanal plectanes, 1 just anterior to anus, 8 in 2
rows of 4 each, rows beginning at slightly behind midbody;
plectanes evenly spaced. Each plectane with heavily sclerotized body producing a “shark’s tooth” appearance, distal tip
with rosette of small denticles. One pair of ad-cloacal papillae.
Four pairs of sessile postanal papillae: 3 ventral pairs, 1 pair
immediately posterior to cloaca, 1 pair midway between cloaca and tip of tail, 1 pair near tip of tail; 1 dorsal pair near tip
of tail. One pair of phasmids on ventral surface near tip of tail
and posterior to 3rd pair of ventral papillae. Four rows of
small, evenly spaced somatic papillae, 2 dorsolateral, 2 ventrolateral, beginning near nerve ring and ending at level of
cloaca.
Female: Based on allotype and 9 paratypes. Length 2.02
± 0.21 mm (1.73–2.30 mm), width at level of vulva 213 ± 20
Accession number
USNPC
BPBM
97847
97848
97849
H149
H150
H151
(183–244). Pharynx 37 ± 2 (34–40) long, corpus 376 ± 25
(336–397 long, oesophageal bulb 78 ± 6 (67–85) long, 82 ± 7
(73–92) wide. Nerve ring 148 ± 7 (134–159), excretory pore
39 ± 24 (323–403, and vulva 1065 ± 95 (890–1160) from anterior end, respectively. Reproductive system prodelphic, ovijector approximately 180 in length directed posteriorly joining
2 uteri. In non-gravid specimens uterine branches are short,
one uterus extends anteriorly and terminates at a short ovary;
the second uterus extends posteriorly a short distance then
turns anteriorly and parallels anterior branch. Second ovary
posterior to first ovary occurring a short distance anterior to
level of vulva. In gravid specimens, large eggs and/or developing larvae obscure structure of reproductive tract; maximum number of eggs and/or larvae seen was 10. Somatic papillae absent. Tail an elongate cone, 220 ± 21 (201–256) in
length. Eggs large, 176 ± 18 (153–207) × 125 ± 13 (100–140);
thin shelled, many containing larvae, occasional hatched larvae present in uterus. Phasmids not seen.
Type host: Thomson’s toothless frog, Genyophryne thomsoni Boulenger, 1890; symbiotype, BPBM 15346; 26 April
2002.
Type locality: Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay Province,
Cloudy Mountains, along Upaelisafupi Stream, 715 m,
10.4970833°S, 150.2329666°E.
Site of infection: Large intestine.
Type specimens: Holotype male, USNPC 97841; allotype
female, USNPC 97842; paratypes, USNPC 97843.
Etymology: The new species is named for Professor Michael J. Tyler, Department of Zoology, University of Adelaide,
South Australia, Australia, in recognition of his numerous contributions on the biology of Australo-Pacific frogs.
Remarks: A list of 22 species of Cosmocerca by biogeographical region was published by Bursey et al. (2005). Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. represents the 23rd species assigned
to the genus and the 6th from the Australian realm. Of the 5
Australian species previously described, 4 have been described from anuran hosts: C. archeyi Baker et Green, 1988 from
Leiopelma archeyi collected in New Zealand; C. australis
Baker et Green, 1988 from Leiopelma hochstetteri also collected in New Zealand; C. limnodynastes Johnston et Simpson, 1942 from Limnodynastes dorsalis collected in Australia; and C. novaeguineae Moravec et Sey, 1990 from
Platymantis papuensis collected in Papua New Guinea (Johnston and Simpson 1942, Baker and Green 1988, Moravec and
Sey 1990). The fifth species, C. zugi Bursey, Goldberg et
Kraus, 2005 was described from the lizard Cyrtodactylus loui-
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New species of Cosmocerca from G. thomsoni
Zdzis³aw
215
Stanis³a
Figs 1–8. Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. 1. Female, non-gravid, entire, lateral view. 2. Male, entire, lateral view. 3. Female, en face view.
4. Plectane, lateral view. 5. Gubernaculum and spicule. 6. Plectane, distal surface ornamentation. 7. Male, posterior end, semidiagrammatic
lateral view. 8. Male, posterior end, semidiagrammatic ventral view
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Charles R. Bursey et al.
Roborzyñski
rosbœŸæv
siadensis collected in Papua New Guinea (Bursey et al. 2005).
Cosmocerca tyleri sp. nov. differs from C. limnodynastes and
C. novaeguineae in number of plectanes, 4 pairs in C. tyleri,
5 pairs in C. limnodynastes and C. novaeguineae. Cosmocerca
australis has 3–4 pairs of plectanes, C. archeyi and C. zugi
each have 4 pairs of plectanes; however, in each of these
species the plectanes lie in the fourth quarter of the body and
just anterior to the cloaca. In C. tyleri sp. nov. the plectanes
lie in the third quarter of the body and there is significant
space between the cloaca and the posterior pair of plectanes.
Discussion
With the exception of C. tyleri sp. nov., neither of the other 2
helminth species is unique to Genyophryne thomsoni; however, G. thomsoni is a newly recognized host for both. Oswaldocruzia bakeri was described from the frog Phrynomantis stictogaster (currently, Callulops stictogaster) collected in the
Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea (Moravec
and Sey 1986). It is also known from the frogs Callulops
humicola and C. wilhelmanus (as Phrynomantis wilhelmana)
and the lizard Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis (Moravec and Sey
1986, Bursey et al. 2005). Encysted larvae assigned to Abbreviata have been reported from reptiles of Australia and Borneo
(see Myers and Kuntz 1969, Goldberg et al. 2000), but we
know of no previous reports of larvae of Abbreviata in anurans from this region. Species of Abbreviata require an insect
intermediate host (Anderson 2000), thus any insectivore may
ingest larvae. Roca (1993) suggested that prevalence of encysted larval nematodes in a lizard population indicates their
degree of importance as prey because lizards can serve as intermediate hosts. Perhaps the same will be found true for anurans.
Acknowledgments. Peggy Firth prepared the illustrations constituting Figs 1–8. E. Teodoro and S. Kark assisted with dissections. We
thank I. Bigilale and Allen, Don, Gule, Lawasi, and Suki of Gadowalai and James and Pipi of Naura for field assistance; S. Andrew for
permission to work on his land; D. Mitchell and Conservation International for logistical assistance in Milne Bay Province; the PNG
National Museum and Art Gallery for providing in-country assis-
fjad kadsææ¿æ
tance; and the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation,
PNG National Research Institute, and Milne Bay Provincial Government for permission to work in Milne Bay Province. This work was
supported by National Science Foundation grant DEB 0103794. This
is contribution 2006-27 from the Pacific Biological Survey, the Bernice P. Bishop Museum.
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(Accepted June 14, 2006)
Unauthenticated
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