Monanema Australe SP. NOV. (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) from the Lungs and Liver of Native Rodents in North Queensland

Abstract

Monanema australe sp. nov. is described from the lungs, hepatic blood vessels and lymphatics of the fawn-footed melomys, Melomys cervinipes (Gould, 1852) and from the latter two anatomical sites of the giant white-tailed rat, Uromys caudimaculatus (Krefft, 1867), in north Queensland. Microfilariae of this species have previously been reported in the blood of these hosts and of the grassland melomys, Melomys burtoni (Ram-say, 1887); similar but much longer microfilariae are here recorded from blood films of the black-footed tree rat, Mesembriomys gouldii (Gray, 1843). The species is distinguished from congeners by the size of males and females, the presence of cuticular rugosities on the ventral surface of the body and fine, narrowly-spaced transverse cuticular annulations in both sexes, the length of the spicules, the presence of small caudal alae in males bearing ornamentation only on the proximal (= median) surface of each ala and a pre-cloacal area rugosa. Species belonging to the genus Monanema are now known to occur in sciurids in North America, murids and gerbils in Africa and murids in Australia; all are associated with blood and lymphatic vessels.