Angiostrongylus sandarsae sp. n. (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea), a Lungworm of Rodents in Mozambique, East Africa

Abstract

Angiostrongylus sandarsae sp. n., from the pulmonary arteries of Mastomys natalensis in Mozambique, possesses a gubernaculum and can be differentiated from the closely related A. gubernaculatus by the reduced length of the esophagus, spicules, female tail, and ventroventral bursal ray. The desirability of combing the genera Angiocaulus and Rodentocaulus with Angiostrongylus until more information is available, is discussed. The pathology associated with the presence of the parasite in the lungs is also discussed. In a study of lungworms among field rats in the vicinity of Beira, Mozambique, September 1965, 15 out of 27 Mastomys natalensis and one Gerbil tatera trapped, harbored an undescribed species of metastrongylid lungworm. Although this nematode possesses a guberaculum, it has many characters in common with members of the genus Angiostrongylus. For reasons which are indicated below, it appears justifiable at this time to assign this nematode to the genus Angiostrongylus until more is known of the congeneric characters of this genus and those of Angiocaulus and Rodentocaulus. The description of the new species is based on specimens collected from Mastomys only. Unless otherwise indicated, the measurements are in microns. The drawings were made with the aid of a camera lucida. The name is in honor of Dr. D. F. Sandars, who together with Dr. M. J. Mackerras, in 1955 described the obligatory migration of the larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the central nervous system of the rodent host. Angiostrongylus sandarsae sp. n. (Figs. 1-6)