First record of Porocephalus cf. clavatus (Pentastomida: Porocephalida) as a parasite on Bothrops asper (Squamata: Viperidae) in Costa Rica.

G Alvarado,A Sánchez-Monge

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.01414

Abstract

Pentastomids are parasites that infect respiratory cavities of vertebrates, they are pretty common but poorly known in wildlife veterinary. A Bothrops asper snake (Garman, 1884) was captured in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica and had its lung infested with pentastomids, identified as ca Porocephalus clavatus (Wyman, 1845). This represents the first record of Porocephalus (Humboldt, 1812) on B. asper as well as P. cf. clavatus in Costa Rica. Further studies are needed to clarify their taxonomic position, images and scanning electron microscopy photographs (SEM) of the specimens are given.

Highlights

Pentastomids are parasites in the respiratory tract of vertebrates (Almeida et al, 2007, 2008a) with 144 recent species, common in reptiles (Christoffersen and Assis, 2013; Riley, 1986)
A Bothrops asper female was collected in Siquirres, Limón (28/III/2011) in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica and translated to the Department of Pathology at the Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional (UNA)
Scanning electron images were obtained with a Hitachi S3700N scanning electron microscope in variable pressure mode at the Microscopic Structures Research Center (CIEMIC), University of Costa Rica (UCR)

Summary

Introduction

Pentastomids are parasites in the respiratory tract of vertebrates (Almeida et al, 2007, 2008a) with 144 recent species, common in reptiles (Christoffersen and Assis, 2013; Riley, 1986). The genus Porocephalus comprises nine species that infect lungs of snakes in America and Africa (Christoffersen and Assis, 2013; Gomez-Puerta et al, 2011; Poore, 2012). This genus is recognized by females’ head swollen but without a neck, annuli obvious in nymphs but not in adults, oval or keyshaped mouth in the line of the inner hooks and by internal hooks simple and external hooks double in both, nymphs and adults (Riley and Self, 1979). Images and descriptions of the affected tissues and the pentastomids recovered are given

Material and Methods

Results

Taxonomic status

Conclusion