Abstract
A total of 61 specimens of the Red-headed Spiny Lizard Sceloporus pyrocephalus Cope (Phrynosomatidae) collected during the breeding season (June/July 2003, 2004 and 2005) from Western Mexico were examined for helminths. The morphological characterization of the helminths found was made through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Nine taxa of helminths were identified, two cestodes: Mesocestoides sp. and Oochoristica sp., and seven nematodes: Parapharyngodon ayotzinapaensis Garduño-Montes de Oca, Mata-López & León-Règagnon, 2016, Parapharyngodon tikuinii Garduño-Montes de Oca, Mata-López & León-Règagnon, 2016, Parapharyngodon sp., Physalopterinae gen. sp., Skrjabinoptera scelopori Caballero-Rodríguez, 1971, Strongyluris similis Caballero, 1938 and a new species of Thubunaea Seurat, 1914. Larvae of Mesocestoides sp. and Physalopterinae gen. sp. were found in the body cavity and digestive tract, respectively. Excluding the species of Parapharyngodon Chatterji, 1933, S. pyrocephalus is recorded for the first time as a host of the remaining seven taxa of helminths. Additionally, Thubunaea leonregagnonae sp. n. is described and illustrated as a new nematode species, parasite of S. pyrocephalus from Mexico. This new species can be differentiated from the majority of its congeners by the absence of spicules, the particular pattern of caudal papillae in males and the small ratio of oesophagus length:male total body length (0.1–0.16).
Highlights
Mexico is ranked as a country with the second highest diversity of reptiles, 864 species of which 493 are endemic to the country (Flores-Villela and García-Vázquez 2014)
Sceloporus pyrocephalus Cope is an endemic lizard of Western Mexico associated with streams and rivers within tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous forest (Uetz et al 2016), and distributed along the Pacific coast of the southwestern states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán and Guerrero as well as Central Mexico, and Southern Morelos
The purpose of the present study is to report on the helminth fauna of S. pyrocephalus, including the description of a new species of Thubunaea Seurat, 1914
Summary
Mexico is ranked as a country with the second highest diversity of reptiles, 864 species of which 493 are endemic to the country (Flores-Villela and García-Vázquez 2014). Lizards are the species-richest reptilian group with 417 species, and among them the Phrynosomatidae are the most diverse family (representing 15.9% of the total lizard diversity from Mexico). Our knowledge regarding the helminth fauna of this family is limited. Sceloporus Wiegmann (Phrynosomatidae) is a genus of New World lizards composed of 92 nominal species, of which 59 are endemic to Mexico (Uetz et al 2016). Sceloporus pyrocephalus Cope is an endemic lizard of Western Mexico associated with streams and rivers within tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous forest (Uetz et al 2016), and distributed along the Pacific coast of the southwestern states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán and Guerrero as well as Central Mexico, and Southern Morelos. Despite some efforts to characterize the parasites of this species of lizard (Calisi et al 2008), current knowledge of its helminth fauna is still far from being complete
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