Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae): a new host for Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae)

Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae): novo hospedeiro para Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae)

Oswaldofilaria petersi; Nematode; Tropidurus hispidus; Sauria; Ileofibularis muscle

Oswaldofilaria petersi; Nematódeo; Tropidurus hispidus; Sauria; Músculo ileofibularis

COMMUNICATION COMUNICAÇÃO

Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae): a new host for Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae)

Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae): novo hospedeiro para Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae)

R.J. Silva^I; T. Kohlsdorf^II

^IDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências da UNESP Caixa Postal 560 18618-000 - Botucatu, SP

^IIDepartamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências da USP

Keywords:Oswaldofilaria petersi, Nematode, Tropidurus hispidus, Sauria, Ileofibularis muscle

RESUMO

No presente trabalho descreve-se a ocorrência de Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae) em Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae). Um macho e uma fêmea de O. petersi foram coletados no músculo ileofibularis direito desse lagarto. Este é o primeiro relato deste hospedeiro para Oswaldofilaria spp. e também a descrição de um novo hospedeiro para O. petersi.

Palavras-chave:Oswaldofilaria petersi, Nematódeo, Tropidurus hispidus, Sauria, Músculo ileofibularis

Studies on reptile helminth parasites have been accomplished for a long time. Vicente et al. (1993) report that Marcgrave found, in 1648, nematodes in the intestine of a Brazilian iguana specimen. Travassos (1913) was the first Brazilian that published about this theme. Ever since, many researchers have been working in this line and recently an article was published listing nematode species that were parasites in Brazilian reptiles (Vicente et al., 1993). However, due to the great diversity of species observed in Brazilian fauna, the description of new parasites or new hosts for species previously described is still a theme to be investigated. In this paper, the occurrence of Oswaldofilaria petersi Bain & Sulahian 1974 (Nematoda, Onchocercidae) in Tropidurus hispidus Spix 1825 (Sauria, Tropiduridae) is reported.

Fifteen individuals of Tropidurus hispidus (Sauria, Tropiduridae) were collected in Ibiraba, Bahia, in November 2001, and were sacrificed using a guillotine. One adult male (body mass: 67.7g, SVL: 123.25mm) presented nematodes on the right ileofibularis muscle. The helminthes were free in the musculature and there was no alteration (lesion) in muscle fibers. The conjunctive tissue was lightly denser and less translucent than regularly. The nematodes were fixed in alcohol 70% and clarified with phenol for morphometric analysis, which were carried out using the Qwin Lite 2.5 computerized system of image analysis (Leica). Illustrations were conducted in bright field. The identification of the helminthes species was based on the paper of Vicente et al. (1993).

The nematodes found were one male and one female (Fig. 1). They presented smooth cuticle, reduced buccal capsule and esophagus very long, differentiated in one previous muscular and other posterior glandular portion. The male, measuring 18.8mm length and 0.27mm width, presented buccal capsule with 0.017mm length, muscular esophagus with 0.26mm length and glandular one with 1.60mm length. A nerve ring was located at 0.29mm of the anterior extremity. It presented two unequal spicules, one with 0.34mm and other with 0.091mm, and very evident gubernaculum, measuring 0.21mm length. The female, measuring 51.8mm length and 0.51mm width, presented buccal capsule with 0.018mm length; the muscular esophagus measured 0.49mm of length and the glandular one had 1.98mm of length. A nerve ring was located at 0.38mm of the anterior extremity. The female is opisthodelphys with vulva located at 17.9mm of the end extremity. By the analysis of the morphological and morphometric characteristics of these parasites, it was possible to identify the species as Oswaldofilaria petersi.

Species of the genus Oswaldofilaria have been previously described in Brazilian reptiles (Travassos, 1933; Freitas, Lent, 1937; Bain, 1974). Only O. bacillaris was described as parasite of alligators (Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger; Bain, 1974). The other species, O. azevedoi, O. belemensis, O. brevicaudata, O. petersi and O. spinosa, were described as parasites of lizards (Travassos, 1933; Freitas, Lent, 1937). However, there is no report in the literature about the occurrence of these nematodes in Tropidurus hispidus. This is the first report of this host for Oswaldofilaria spp. and also a description of a new host for O. petersi.

AKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by a FAPESP fellowship to TK (00/06662-5).

Recebido para publicação em 6 de setembro de 2002

Recebido para publicação, após modificações, em 27 de dezembro de 2002

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• FREITAS, J.F.T.; LENT, H. Sobre Oswaldofilaria brevicaudata Rhdodhain & Vuyulsteke n. comb. (nematoda: Filarioidea). Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, v.42, p.439-442, 1937.
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• TRAVASSOS, L. Sobre as espécies brasileiras da subfamília Heterakinae Railliet & Henry. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, v.5, p.271-318, 1913.
• VICENTE, J.J.; RODRIGUES, H.O.; GOMES, D.C. et al. Nematóides do Brasil. III. Nematóides de répteis. Rev. Bras. Zool., v.10, p.19-168, 1993.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  02 Oct 2003
• Date of issue
  June 2003

History

• Received
  06 Sept 2002
• Accepted
  27 Dec 2002