Phylogenetic relationships of two species of Haematoloechus (Trematoda: Haematoloechidae) infecting Euphlyctis spp. from the biodiversity hotspot, Western Ghats, India.

Abstract

During a parasitological survey in the biodiversity hotspot, two species of the digenetic trematode, Haematoloechus from the lungs of Indian skipper frog Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis and the Indian green frog, E. hexadactylus inhabiting the biodiversity hotspot, Western Ghats, India, were found and described using morphological and molecular tools. Morphological examinations indicated that the two species are Haematoloechus almorai Pande, 1937 and H. (H.) variegatus capyristes (Klein, 1905; Ingles, 1932) Odening, 1958 as previously described in the original manuscripts but with some morphological differences. The ITS region (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2) and 28S gene of ribosomal DNA sequences were performed for phylogenetic studies showed that the sequences of these species did not match with any of the previously reported sequences on GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis placed H. almorai and H. (H.) variegatus capyristes in a well-supported clade under the genus Haematoloechus. This is the first molecular study of present Haematoloechus species from the Western Ghats, India and discussed their phylogenetic position.