A molecular and ecological study of Macracanthorhynchus ingens (von Linstow, 1879) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala), in its paratenic and definitive hosts in southeastern Mexico and the Eastern USA.

The acanthocephalan Macracanthorhynchus ingens (von Linstow 1879) (Acanthocephala: Archiacanthocephala) is a parasite that infects the gut of carnivores (racoons, coyotes, wolves, foxes, badgers, skunks, opossum, mink and bears) as an adult and the body cavity of lizards, snakes, and frogs as a cystacanth in the Americas. In this study, adults and cystacanths of M. ingens from southeastern Mexico and southern Florida, USA, were identified morphologically by having a cylindrical proboscis armed with 6 rows of hooks each with 6 hooks. Hologenophores were used to sequence the small (SSU) and large (LSU) subunits of ribosomal DNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox 1) from mitochondrial DNA. Phylogenetic analysis of the new SSU and LSU sequences of M. ingens placed them in a clade with other sequences available in GenBank identified as M. ingens. The cox 1 tree showed that the nine new sequences and six previously published sequences of M. ingens from the USA form a clade with other sequences previously identified as M. ingens from GenBank. The intraspecific genetic divergence among isolates from the Americas ranged from 0 to 2%, and in combination with the phylogenetic trees confirmed that the isolates belonged to the same species. The cox 1 haplotype network inferred with 15 sequences revealed 10 haplotypes separated from each other by a few substitutions. Rio Grande Leopard Frogs and Vaillant´s Frogs harbored cystacanths with low prevalence, 28% and 37% respectively, in Mexico. Brown Basilisks, an invasive lizard in Florida, USA, had high values of prevalence, 92% and 93% in males and females, respectively. Females harbored more cystacanths than males (0-39 vs 0-21) for unknown reasons that may, however, be related to ecological differences.

First record of Patagifer bilobus (Rudolphi, 1819) Dietz, 1909 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae), with a morphological and molecular characterization from two threskiornithid species in Mexico.

Patagifer Dietz, 1909 is a small genus of echinostomatids, with 12 recognized species, mostly parasitising threskiornithid birds, distributed worldwide. In the current research, adult specimens of the type species, Patagifer bilobus (Rudolphi, 1819) Dietz, 1909 from the white faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) and white ibis (Eudocimus albus) were re-described, providing new metrical data for the number of head collar spines. Those specimens were recorded from eight localities in Mexico and compared morphologically with specimens previously identified as Patagifer lamothei. A total of 19 specimens identified as P. bilobus including two hologenophores were sequenced with three molecular markers: domains D1-D3 of the large subunit (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1, ITS2) plus 5.8S from the nuclear rDNA, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) from mitochondrial DNA. The new sequences were aligned with other sequences of Patagifer spp., downloaded from GenBank. Phylogenetic trees inferred from each data set, placed all the specimens in a clade, confirming that the isolates belonged to the same species. The morphological examination of specimens previously identified as P. lamothei by Ortega-Olivares MP, Hernández-Mena DI, Pérez-Ponce de León G, García-Varela M (2011) Helminths of the white ibis, Eudocimus albus (Aves Therskiornithidae) in Mexico. (Zootaxa 3088, 15-26. 10.11646/zootaxa.3088.1.2) and in combination with molecular data confirms that those specimens should be reassigned to P. bilobus. In addition, this is the first study in P. bilobus using an integrative taxonomy approach.

Monorchiids (Digenea, Trematoda) of fishes in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with the description of three new species based on morphological and molecular data.

Adult specimens of monorchiids (Digenea) were collected from the intestines of the white grunt, Haemulon plumierii Lacepède (Haemulidae), and the white mullet, Mugil curema Valenciennes (Mugilidae) from five localities off the Yucatán Peninsula and one locality in the Gulf of Mexico. Some specimens were photographed and sequenced for two molecular markers, the large subunit (LSU) of nuclear rDNA and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of mitochondrial DNA. Other specimens were processed for morphological analyses. Newly generated sequences were aligned with other sequences available in GenBank. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses were implemented using the data sets of LSU and cox1 independently. Reciprocal monophyly evidenced through phylogenetic analyses, sequence divergence values for both molecular markers, and detailed morphological analyses, including scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs, revealed three new genetic lineages, i.e., species, as parasites of M. curema. The three new species are Sinistroporomonorchis mexicanus n. sp., Sinistroporomonorchis yucatanensis n. sp., and Sinistroporomonorchis minutus n. sp. Two additional species of monorchiids were sampled, characterised molecularly, and re-described, namely Sinistroporomonorchis glebulentus (Overstreet, 1971) from the white mullet, and Alloinfundiburictus haemuli (Overstreet, 1969), from the white grunt.

Title: Monorchiidae (Digenea, Trematoda) de poissons de la péninsule du Yucatán, Mexique, avec description de trois nouvelles espèces sur la base de données morphologiques et moléculaires. Abstract: Des spécimens adultes de Monorchiidae (Digenea) ont été collectés dans les intestins de la gorette blanche, Haemulon plumierii Lacepède (Haemulidae), et du mulet blanc, Mugil curema Valenciennes (Mugilidae) de cinq localités au large de la péninsule du Yucatán et d'une localité dans le Golfe du Mexique. Certains spécimens ont été photographiés et séquencés pour deux marqueurs moléculaires, la grande sous-unité (LSU) de l'ADNr nucléaire et la sous-unité 1 de la cytochrome c oxydase (cox1) de l'ADN mitochondrial. D'autres spécimens ont été traités pour des analyses morphologiques. Les séquences nouvellement générées ont été alignées avec d'autres séquences disponibles dans GenBank. L'inférence bayésienne et les analyses de vraisemblance maximale ont été mises en œuvre en utilisant les ensembles de données de LSU et cox1 indépendamment. La monophylie réciproque mise en évidence par des analyses phylogénétiques, des valeurs de divergence de séquence pour les deux marqueurs moléculaires et des analyses morphologiques détaillées, y compris des photomicrographies au microscope électronique à balayage, a révélé trois nouvelles lignées génétiques, c'est-à-dire des espèces, qui sont parasites de M. curema. Les trois nouvelles espèces sont Sinistroporomonorchis mexicanus n. sp., Sinistroporomonorchis yucatanensis n. sp. et Sinistroporomonorchis minutus n. sp. (Monorchiidae). Deux espèces supplémentaires de Monorchiidae ont été échantillonnées, caractérisées moléculairement et redécrites, à savoir Sinistroporomonorchis glebulentus (Overstreet, 1971) du mulet blanc et Alloinfundiburictus haemuli (Overstreet, 1969) de la gorette blanche.