Ophiotaenia ecuadorensis n. sp. (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) from Hyla geographica Spix, 1824 in Ecuador

Abstract

Ophiotaenia ecuadorensis n. sp. is described from the small intestine of Hyla geographica Spix, 1824 collected in Ecuador. It is compared to all species of Ophiotaenia with equatorial or slightly pre-equatorial genital pores and is most similar to Ophiotaenia olseni, but differs in having an apical organ on the scolex, a shorter strobila, narrower proglottids, fewer and wider testes, and an ovary with expanded anterior lobes in gravid proglottids. Of 16 species of Hyla collected in the summer of 1968 during the course of a study conducted by Dr. William E. Duellman, Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, on amphibians and reptiles of Ecuador, only 1 of 5 adult Hyla geographica Spix, 1824 was found to harbor a proteocephalid cestode. Other frogs examined and found negative for cestodes included Hyla alboguttata Boulenger, 1882, Hyla bifurca Andersson, 1945, Hyla boans Daudin, 1803, Hyla calcarata Troschel, 1848, Hylafasciata Gunther, 1858, Hyla garbei (Miranda Ribeiro, 1926), Hyla lanciformis (Cope, 1870), Hyla leucophyllata (Beireis, 1783), Hyla marmorata (Laurenti, 1768), Hyla parviceps Boulenger, 1882, Hyla punctata (Schneider, 1799), Hyla reticulata Jimenez de la Espada, 1870, Hyla rondoniae Bokermann, 1963, Hyla rubra Daudin, 1803, and Hyla sarayacuensis Shreve, 1935. This report is based on a single specimen of an unidentified proteocephalid. For a summary of the various proteocephalids of amphibians and reptiles, the reader is referred to the reports of La Rue (1914), Freze (1965) and Brooks (1978). The latter represents a scholarly study on the systematic status of proteocephalid cestodes of amphibians and reptiles in North America and provides a key distinguishing the 19 species. A similar study for proteocephalids of South American amphibians and reptiles has yet to be done. MATERIALS AND METHODS The tapeworm was recovered in situ by autopsy of the host shortly after capture. It was fixed in 10% formalin, stained with Harris' hematoxylin, dehydrated, cleared in beechwood creosote, and mounted in CanReceived 2 July 1985; revised 18 November 1985; accepted 18 November 1985. ada balsam for study. All measurements are in micrometers unless otherwise indicated. Since only a single specimen was available for examination, the mean followed by the range in parentheses is given when feasible. Drawings were made with the aid of a camera lucida and a Leitz microprojector (Figs. 1-3).