Nematode and Cestode Parasites from the Roseate Spoonbill, Ajaia ajaja, including Paradilepis diminuta sp. n. (Cestoda: Dilepididae)

Abstract

Paradilepis diminuta sp. n. (Cestoda: Dilepididae) is described from the roseate spoonbill Ajaia ajaja (Allen 1942) from the Texas Gulf coast. Paradilepis diminuta resembles P. transfuga (Krabbe 1869) Baer and Bona 1960, and P. brevis Burt 1940. Paradilepis diminuta differs from P. transfuga by having larger hooks and cirrus sac, and being craspedote. It differs from P. brevis by having smaller hooks and a larger cirrus sac. Also reported are the cestode Cyclustera capito Rudolphi 1819, and two nema- todes, Cosmocephalus obvelatus (Creplin 1825) and Capillaria sp. The roseate spoonbill, Ajaia ajaja, ranges from Florida through the Texas Gulf coast southward to Chile and Argentina. Although conservation efforts have stimulated increases in its population, this species is still uncom- mon throughout most of its range and few ac- counts of its helminth fauna have been pub- lished. Our study reports nematodes and cestodes recovered from two specimens of Ajaia ajaja. The hosts were collected on the Intercoastal