Egg Capsules Research Articles

Notes on the Diet and Growth of Murex Pteropurpura macroptera (Deshayes, 1838) (Gastropoda: Muricidae)

At a length of 27 mm and greater, each subsequent varices of Pteropurpura macroptera (Deshayes, 1838) represents one year of growth. Among snails still growing, a single varix is added most frequently during August or September. Reproduction occurs from April to early July. The growth rate in situ and in culture were similar. Egg capsules, embryos and the average number of each per cluster are provided. The diet in culture was exclusively bivalves.

SIMPLE REARER AND YOUNG REVOLUTIONER

Insects are known as one of the most successful class of animals on earth, being a major player in the ecosystem. The economic importance of insects encompasses both their negative and positive importance. Often found on leaves, flowers and stems of crop plants, insects cause both direct (eat the leaves, fruits or vegetables of crop plants and many times too, do destroy the crops prior to fruiting) and indirect damage (transmit infections; viral, bacterial and fungal) to crops. Some insects are predaceous, they feed upon and destroy a large number of injurious insects. Stagomantis, a mantis is voracious, it feeds on flies, grasshoppers and caterpillars, some of which are injurious to crops. The larvae and adults of Chilomenes, a lady-bird beetle, feed on aphids which infect cotton plants. Novius, a lady-bird bettle, destroys scale worms which are pests of orange and lemon trees. Epicauta is a blister beetle, it deposits eggs where locusts occur, the larvae on hatching enter egg capsules of locusts and eat up masses of eggs. Calasoma, a ground beetle preys upon many kinds of lepidopterous larvae which destroy cereals and cotton. KEY WORDS: Honey bees, honey products, venom, royal jelly, pollen, propolis

Elucidating structure and metabolism of insect biomaterials by solid-state NMR

Among the many natural biomaterials for which information on atomic-level structure and reorientational motion can offer essential clues to function, insoluble multi-component composites with limited degrees of order are among the most challenging to study. Despite its limited sensitivity, solid-state NMR (ssNMR) is often the technique of choice to ferret out these details in carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials: this spectroscopic approach can probe many biomaterials in their native or near-native states, either with or without the introduction of stable NMR-active isotopes, or with the assistance of dynamic nuclear polarization technology. During a span of close to four decades, such research targets and ssNMR approaches have been exemplified by insects, a diverse and evolutionarily agile group of organisms with global impacts that include ecology, agriculture, and human disease. In this short review, we present case studies on insect cuticles that range from protective exoskeletons and egg capsules to the wing structures that enable flight and showcase nature's awe-inspiring beauty, highlighting the use of ssNMR spectroscopy to profile chemical composition, elucidate macromolecular architecture, and monitor metabolic development in these fascinating biological assemblies.

Low microbial abundance and community diversity in the egg capsule of the oviparous cloudy catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame) during oviposition.

Vertebrate embryos are protected from bacterial infection by various maternally derived factors, yet little is known about the defence mechanisms in elasmobranchs. This study aimed to characterize the intracapsular environment of freshly laid eggs of the oviparous catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame) by investigating the microbial abundance and microbiota to understand its potential contribution to embryonic defence. The egg capsule of oviparous elasmobranchs is tightly sealed until pre-hatching, after which seawater flows into the capsule, exposing the embryos to the surrounding seawater. We found that early embryos were highly vulnerable to environmental pathogens, suggesting that the embryos are somehow protected from infection before pre-hatching. Indeed, the intracapsular environment of freshly laid eggs exhibited significantly low bacterial density, maintained until pre-hatching. Furthermore, the microbiome inside eggs just after oviposition differed markedly from those of rearing seawater and adult oviducal gland epithelia; these eggs were predominantly populated by an unidentified genus of Sphingomonadaceae. Overall, this study provides compelling evidence that early embryos of oviparous cloudy catshark are incubated in a clean intracapsular environment that potentially plays a significant role in embryonic development in oviparous elasmobranchs.

Late Pleistocene–Holocene palynology and paleoceanography of İmralı Basin, Marmara Sea: Pollen-spore, dinoflagellate cyst and other NPP zonations

The Marmara Sea is the oceanographic gateway that links the hypersaline Eastern Mediterranean Sea with the hyposaline Black Sea via Straits of Dardanelles and Bosphorus, respectively, and also occupies a transitional vegetation and climatic regime between the Mediterranean and Euxinic phytogeographic ecosystems. Recent palynological studies of long cores from the shallow İmralı Basin perched on the southeastern slope of the Marmara Sea reveal that major paleoecological changes accompanied the isolation and reconnection of the Marmara Sea during the last two Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. Here, we use data primarily from two İmralı Basin cores to determine new quantitative zonations for the pollen-spore, dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) and other non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) assemblages in sediments representing the last ∼30 cal ka. A gap in one core is closed using data from three short gravity cores. Twenty-four radiocarbon ages and 20 correlation-ties for sapropel and ash layers from these five cores provide an essentially complete record for the past 30 cal ka. Use of a full suite of palynomorph data (pollen and spores, fungal spores, dinocysts and other phytoplankton, aquatic parasites/saprophytes, zoo-planktonic and zoo-benthic NPPs) shows for the first time that fluctuations in aquatic palynoassemblages during the glacial periods are more complex than simple salinity or temperature responses. The changes involve food web-level turnovers in trait- and size-based food web components in which potential parasites/saprophytes appear critically important.Pollen stratigraphies reveal a significant loss of Euxinic tree taxa by MIS 3c, with only partial recovery in MIS 1. The Euxinic forest elements are replaced by cultivars and other indicators of anthropogenic influences during the MIS 1 that is also marked by a dry interval and corresponding in part with the 4.2 cal ka Eastern Mediterranean Drought Event. The dinocyst zones for the last ∼30 cal ka show a clear turnover from assemblages dominated by brackish Ponto–Caspian taxa to marine assemblages at ∼11.7 cal ka. This phytoplanktonic signal lags slightly behind (a) the vegetation and shift in the other NPP commencing ∼13.2 cal ka, the initial marine incursion at 13.8 cal ka, and the arrival of coccolithophores at ∼13 cal ka. Comparison to published MIS 6 and 5 data reveals higher MIS 2–1 species diversity, reappearance of the MIS 6 marker Impagidinium inaequalis, and the emergences of Pyxidinopsis psilata f. quadrata, cf. Boreadinium breve, and Peridinium spp. of Brenner 2005. The pre-reconnection microbiota is dominated by the unicellular alga Sigmopollis, spikes of colonial Pediastrum algae, the saprophytes/parasites cf. Multiplicisphaeridium and Chytridiomycota. This microbiota is displaced by the post-reconnection assemblage dominated by Botryococcus coenobia, various Platyhelminth egg capsules and ostracod lining-types that persist through the Holocene. A distinctive transitional microbiota with Discocotyle-type turbellarian egg capsules marks the Bølling–Allerød warming, followed at ∼13.3 ka by a marine assemblage with micro-foraminiferal linings and crustacean eggs. The interglacial marine phase of MIS 1 in İmralı Basin has much higher dinocyst species diversity than MIS 5e, reflecting Neolithic impacts (agriculture, land clearance) and expanded shipping trade. Initial marine flooding in the Marmara Sea during both interglacials are marked by sapropel deposition but variations of ravinement surface erosion, and marine deep water residence time in a stratified Marmara Sea are potentially important factors underlying hypoxia/anoxia and sapropel deposition.

How to chew gum: the post-ingestion fate of foliar secondary compounds consumed by a eucalypt herbivore

Herbivorous insects require mechanisms to deal with defence compounds produced by their host plants. Despite an array of secondary compounds associated with defence, eucalypts are hosts to many insect species that readily obtain nutrients also produced by these plants. Gonipterus weevils are foliage-feeding eucalypt specialists as larvae and adults, with a notable characteristic of protecting their eggs with a hardened frass-like substance. The aim of this study was to assess plant, weevil frass and egg capsule chemistry to determine how the weevil eliminates plant secondary metabolites. We hypothesised that noxious compounds would be metabolised prior to elimination and that egg capsules would be composed of frass and additional substances. Weevils were fed on Eucalyptus globulus plants for seven days, with their frass and egg capsules collected daily, and the damaged, first, fully-expanded leaves of the host collected at the end of the assay. Compounds present in each sample were extracted in hexane and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The most abundant compounds in each sample were waxes and terpenoids, and metabolism of 1,8-cineole was evident, with two metabolites that may have semiochemical activity. Comparative analysis revealed significant differences between all samples, with shared compounds varying in relative proportions and exclusive compounds in sample type. These findings contribute to the understanding of Gonipterus physiology and highlight the differences between frass and the cover of egg capsules.

Development of buccopharyngeal features in Thoropa miliaris (Spix, 1824) tadpoles (Anura: Cycloramphidae): Implications to character coding in systematics studies

Herein we present a survey on the variation in the morphology of the structures that compose the larval buccopharyngeal cavity of Thoropa miliaris tadpoles based on samples of 18 different stages of development, from embryos (removed from the egg capsules) to stages near or at metamorphosis. Our observations revealed that several structures vary independently along the stages. This variation appears in the number of (sub) unities, shape, and positions. Structures observed acquire a “mature format”, increase and decrease in size, and are reabsorbed during distinct tadpole stages. Our observations suggest that caution should be taken when assigning presence/absence or a specific morphology to characters derived from these structures and that samples of several semaphoronts (from as many different stages as feasible) should be evaluated prior to stating for instance that a structure is absent. We also discuss our findings regarding several interpretations of buccopharyngeal features of tadpoles and compare with the ontogenetic studies regarding this character system found in the literature.

Spawn and development of the olivid gastropod Olivancillaria carcellesi from north Patagonia, Argentina

AbstractOlivancillaria carcellesi occurs in shallow sandy shores from north Patagonia, in intertidal and subtidal sandy bottoms. Females of O. carcellesi exhibited a remarkable specificity for spawning on the shells of living males and females, indiscriminately, of the buccinanopsid Buccinastrum deforme, measuring 26.9 ± 4.7 mm in shell length. The egg capsule was semispherical and attached to B. deforme shells by a small elliptical and wide base. The capsule was translucid when spawned, with a thick and semirigid wall and a hatching aperture of 1.8 ± 0.1 mm (n = 111) in diameter. Each egg capsule contained a single egg that measured 1367 ± 34 μm (n = 5) in diameter before cleavage. The embryo developed a small bilobed velum and an operculum, which were both lost before hatching as a crawling juvenile of 1762 ± 47 μm (n = 28) in shell length. As in other species in the genus, the eggs of O. carcellesi are among the largest in the caenogastropods with direct development. The time from oviposition to hatching is estimated to be approximately 6 months.

Taxonomy and nomenclature of Oophila amblystomatis (Chlorophyceae, Chlamydomonadales).

The unicellular green alga Oophila amblystomatis was named by Lambert in 1905 based upon its association with egg masses of the spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum. We collected algal cells from Lambert's original egg capsule preparations that were contributed to Phycotheca Boreali-Americana (PBA) in 1905 and subjected them to DNA extraction and PCR with O. amblystomatis-specific 18S rRNA gene primers. DNA amplified from these preparations was cloned and nine clones were sequenced. Along with representative sequences from the Oophila clade and Chlorophyceae, a phylogenetic tree was inferred. Seven sequences clustered within the Oophila clade and two clustered with Chlamydomonas moewusii, which is included in a sister clade to Oophila. By sequencing algal material from the egg capsules of representative type material we can unambiguously characterize O. amblystomatis and define a monophyletic clade centered on this type material. Accordingly, we reject a recent proposal that this species be transferred to Chlorococcum.

The outbreak of Drupella snails and its catastrophic effects on coral reefs: a comprehensive review

The recurring outbreaks of Drupella snails are a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems on a global scale. However, research on Drupella snails is currently very fragmentary. This article explores the ecological impacts and mitigation methods of Drupella snails and its outbreaks, and draws the following main conclusions. 1) Drupella snails inhabit the tropical oceans of the Indo-Pacific, utilizing their specialized radula to feed on coral polyps, and they predominantly spawn during summer, attaching egg capsules onto coral skeletons. 2) An outbreak of Drupella snails is defined by a density of > 2 ind/m2, but large aggregations alone do not necessarily indicate an outbreak. 3) The damage of coral reef ecosystem is the primary cause of Drupella snail outbreaks, with the hypotheses of “terrestrial nutrient input” and “overfishing of predator” being widely accepted but not fully explaining all outbreak events. 4) Countering Drupella snail outbreaks involves improving the health of coral reef ecosystems, protected areas, biological control and manual removal, though manual removal is the most direct and effective in short-term. 5) The understanding of the physiological and ecological characteristics of Drupella snails is inadequate at present, with larval development and population ecology being areas of particular under-investigation. 6) Studies of Drupella snail outbreaks have focused mainly on mid-outbreak stages, with little attention to early warnings beforehand or adverse outcomes afterwards. Despite significant challenges, addressing knowledge gaps in the biology of Drupella snails is crucial to determine the true causes of their outbreaks and identify corresponding solutions.

Polyandry contributes to Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) rearing.

Gonipterus platensis Marelli, 1926 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the main defoliating beetles in Eucalyptus plantations. Biological control with egg parasitoids is one of the main control strategies for this pest and a constant supply of fresh host eggs is required to rear the parasitoids. Polyandry can influence Gonipterus oviposition by increasing female fecundity and fertility; however, the high density of individuals in laboratory colonies can lead to male harassment, resulting in lower reproduction rate. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of monoandry and polyandry on the reproduction of G. platensis and the effects of male harassment on laboratory rearing conditions. Reproductive parameters were compared between three treatments: monoandry, where the female was allowed to mate daily with the same male; no choice polyandry, where the female was allowed to mate daily with a different male; and polyandry with choice, where the female was allowed to mate daily, but with a choice between five different males. Another experiment varying the density of males was conducted to evaluate the effect of male harassment. Polyandry with choice resulted in the longest period of oviposition, highest fecundity and highest number of eggs per egg capsules when compared to monoandrous females. No negative effect related to male harassment in the laboratory, such as decreased fertility, fecundity, or number of eggs per egg capsule, was detected. Polyandry contributes to mass rearing as it increases fecundity and oviposition period on females and there is no evidence of male harassment on G. platensis.

Flatworm cocoons in the abyss: same plan under pressure.

While knowledge of early ontogeny in abyssal animals is highly limited in general, it was completely lacking for abyssal, free-living platyhelminths. We discovered flatworm egg capsules (or 'cocoons') on rocks collected at depths of 6176-6200 m on the abyssal slope of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, northwestern Pacific. The egg capsules were black and spherical, around 3 mm in diameter, and contained three to seven individuals (n = 4) at the same developmental stage, either the spherical (putative early embryo) or vermiform (putative late embryo) stages. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 18S and 28S rRNA sequences revealed that the flatworms belong in suborder Maricola in Tricladida and suggested that they may have colonized from shallow to deep waters. This study provides the deepest record for free-living flatworms and the first information on their early life stages in the abyssal zone, which were very similar to those in shallow-water forms. This similarity in development between the relatively benign shallow-water and the extreme abyssal environments suggests that triclads adapting to the latter faced primarily physiological and/or ecological adaptive challenges rather than developmental ones.

Replacing mechanical protection with colorful faces-twice: parallel evolution of the non-operculate marine worm-snail genera Thylacodes (Guettard, 1770) and Cayo n. gen. (Gastropoda: Vermetidae).

Vermetid worm-snails are sessile and irregularly coiled marine mollusks common in warmer nearshore and coral reef environments that are subject to high predation pressures by fish. Often cryptic, some have evolved sturdy shells or long columellar muscles allowing quick withdrawal into better protected parts of the shell tube, and most have variously developed opercula that protect and seal the shell aperture trapdoor-like. Members of Thylacodes (previously: Serpulorbis) lack such opercular protection. Its species often show polychromatic head-foot coloration, and some have aposematic coloration likely directed at fish predators. A new polychromatic species, Thylacodes bermudensis n. sp., is described from Bermuda and compared morphologically and by DNA barcode markers to the likewise polychromatic western Atlantic species T. decussatus (Gmelin, 1791). Operculum loss, previously assumed to be an autapomorphy of Thylacodes, is shown to have occurred convergently in a second clade of the family, for which a new genus Cayo n. gen. and four new western Atlantic species are introduced: C. margarita n. sp. (type species; with type locality in the Florida Keys), C. galbinus n. sp., C. refulgens n. sp., and C. brunneimaculatus n. sp. (the last three with type locality in the Belizean reef) (all new taxa authored by Bieler, Collins, Golding & Rawlings). Cayo n. gen. differs from Thylacodes in morphology (e.g., a protoconch that is wider than tall), behavior (including deep shell entrenchment into the substratum), reproductive biology (fewer egg capsules and eggs per female; an obliquely attached egg capsule stalk), and in some species, a luminous, "neon-like", head-foot coloration. Comparative investigation of the eusperm and parasperm ultrastructure also revealed differences, with a laterally flattened eusperm acrosome observed in two species of Cayo n. gen. and a spiral keel on the eusperm nucleus in one, the latter feature currently unique within the family. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial and nuclear rRNA gene sequences (12SrRNA, trnV, 16SrRNA, 28SrRNA) strongly supports the independent evolution of the two non-operculate lineages of vermetids. Thylacodes forms a sister grouping to a clade comprising Petaloconchus, Eualetes, and Cupolaconcha, whereas Cayo n. gen is strongly allied with the small-operculate species Vermetus triquetrus and V. bieleri. COI barcode markers provide support for the species-level status of the new taxa. Aspects of predator avoidance/deterrence are discussed for these non-operculate vermetids, which appear to involve warning coloration, aggressive behavior when approached by fish, and deployment of mucous feeding nets that have been shown, for one vermetid in a prior study, to contain bioactive metabolites avoided by fish. As such, non-operculate vermetids show characteristics similar to nudibranch slugs for which the evolution of warning coloration and chemical defenses has been explored previously.

Hemocyte-like cells in larvae of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata (Mollusca: Panpulmonata)

Despite undergoing development within a germfree egg capsule, embryos and larvae of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata possess passive immune protection in the form of parentally-derived antimicrobial proteins in the perivitelline fluid. However, the point at which larvae begin to form their own internal defense system (IDS), which consists of both plasma proteins and hemocytes, is not known. In this study, hemocyte-like cells were observed in mechanically-disrupted late trochophores and veligers of the BS-90 strain of B. glabrata. These cells showed the properties of glass adherence, spreading, motility, and binding and phagocytosing polystyrene microspheres. No hemocyte-like cells were recovered from the early trochophore stage, and therefore their formation first occurs during subsequent maturation. Numbers of hemocyte-like cells increased during larval development. Although the functional significance of these cells is not known, they may represent the initial cellular component of the IDS.

The Effect of Starvation on Broodstock during Egg Capsule Incubation and Early Shell Formation in the Common Atlantic Slippersnail Crepidula fornicata L.

The Effect of Starvation on Broodstock during Egg Capsule Incubation and Early Shell Formation in the Common Atlantic Slippersnail Crepidula fornicata L.

Record of an encapsulated embryo of Bathyraja brachyurops captured by bottom trawl off Uruguay, South-West Atlantic ocean

In this note the occurrence of an encapsulated embryo of Bathyraja brachyurops is reported. The embryo was in advanced stage of development. The capsule was collected after a bottom trawl operation, in the Argentinean-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone, Southwest Atlantic, in September of 2000. After collection, the egg capsule was fixed in formalin 10% and preserved in ethanol 70%. The egg capsule was dark brown and measured 79.0 mm in length and 46.0 cm in width and was opened at its posterior. The embryo was a 100.0 mm total length female with a mass was 5.5 g. The specimen was in advanced development but the yolk sac was still conspicuous. According to the size of the yolk sac and the presence of caudal filament it could be concluded that there were several weeks to go before hatching.

Does the egg capsule protect against chronic UV-B radiation? A study based on encapsulated and decapsulated embryos of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis.

Although the egg capsule plays a crucial role in the embryonic development of cephalopods, its ability to protect embryos from Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is unknown. Our study evaluated the photoprotection mechanisms of S. officinalis to UV-B radiation and estimated the ability of the black capsule to act as a physical shield against it. Embryos with and without capsule and juveniles were exposed to four experimental UVB conditions for 55 days. The effects of different UVB doses were evaluated in terms of morphological abnormalities and differences in gene expression between each group. We observed that the development might be severely impaired in embryos exposed to UVB without capsule protection, and these effects were time- and UVB-dose-dependent. In addition, we found variations in gene expression levels (light-sensitive, stress response and DNA repair) in different tissues as a function of UVB doses. We suggest a relationship between morphological abnormalities and the limit of molecular regulation. These results suggest that the quantitative differences in expression are essential for defining the survivability of the embryo face to UVB. Thus, we demonstrated that the egg capsule could ensure successful embryonic development of the cuttlefish S. officinalis even at high doses of UVB.

Population structure and reproductive states of the dogwhelk Nucella lapillus differ between artificial structures and natural rocky shores

Artificial structures are an increasingly common feature of coastal marine environments. These structures are poor surrogates of natural rocky shores, and generally support less diverse communities and reduced population sizes. Little is known about sub-lethal effects of such structures in terms of demographic properties and reproductive potential, both of which may influence the dynamics and long-term viability of populations. This study examines the population structure, reproductive states and embryo production of Nucella lapillus populations on artificial structures and natural shores in Ireland and Wales. Population density was measured twice at six natural shores and six artificial structures: once in winter and once in spring. At each sampling, the shell height of 100 individuals from each site was measured. Monthly collections of adult specimens and egg capsules were made at each site from November–January and from March–May, in order to determine sex ratios, reproductive states, and embryo abundances. Artificial structures supported larger individuals and very few juveniles compared to natural shores. Between December and January, natural shores experienced a distinctive pulse in spawning activity followed by a decline in the proportion of females in a reproductive state, whereas on artificial structures the proportion of reproductive females remained relatively stable. Differences observed may be due to a lack of microhabitats on artificial structures, along with subtle variations in structure slope. Eco-engineering interventions, including the addition of refugia such as cracks and crevices, may allow N. lapillus populations on artificial structures to approximate those on natural shores.

Attachment Phenomenon of Thick-shelled Squid Eggs on Selected Substrates: A Case in Barru Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Squids, when spawning, attach their eggs to the preferred substrate to develop well in the selected conditions. Experimental fishing research was conducted by direct observation of squid activities in the spawning area where squid eggs were attached to different substrates. The adult squid would first conduct an inspection and then attach their eggs to the selected substrate. The results showed that squid egg attachment time was conducted in the morning from 06.00 AM to 07.00 AM for 15 minutes at a duration of about 10-30 seconds. The number of egg capsules found in squid houses and various substrates in nature was 1,698 and 1,568 egg capsules. Squid eggs were found at a depth of 1-7 meters, with the most at a depth of 3 meters with 2,718 egg capsules.

Redescription and resurrection of the status of Joyeuxiella gervaisi () (Eucestoda, Dipylidiidae).

A study of the parasite fauna of feral cats in Dubai revealed the presence of two Joyeuxiella species, J. pasqualei (Diamare, 1893) and J. fuhrmanni (Baer, 1924). While the wide distribution of J. pasqualei includes countries of the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, J. fuhrmanni was previously reported from felid hosts from southern Africa and has not been found in other cat parasite surveys in the Middle East, except from Dubai. The availability of historical references, however, raised doubts about the correctness of the allocation of the small Joyeuxiella sp. from Dubai cats to J. fuhrmanni and for this reason, a reexamination of stored material in the parasite collection of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai was carried out. A total of 40 specimens of the small Joyeuxiella sp. with a strobila length between 30 and 60 mm and consisting of 52 to 85 segments obtained from domestic cats and formerly allocated to J. fuhrmanni were studied. In complete specimens, 10 - 13 rows of rostellar hooks were counted. Mature segments were wider than long, round testes were concentrated posterior to coiled vasa deferentia and did not reach the anterior rim of the proglottids. Narrow cirri reached up to 520 μm in length. Gravid segments were longer than wide and egg capsules were restricted to the space between longitudinal excretory vessels. The examination revealed that the morphology of these cestodes matched the main characteristics of J. fuhrmanni. However, the little known cestode, J. gervaisi (Setti, 1895), that had been described from Genetta abyssinica imported from Eritrea 29 years earlier and was declared a species inquirenda met the same main morphological criteria. In this paper, the status of J. gervaisi as a valid species was resurrected and J. fuhrmanni was declared a junior synonym.