Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new species of Wellcomia (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) in the plains viscacha (Rodentia: Chinchillidae) from Argentina, an emended diagnosis and an update of the genus Wellcomia

  • Helminthology - Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wellcomia species (Oxyuridae, Syphaciinae) parasitise several families of rodents from Africa, Asia and America with diverse ecological characteristics. A new species of Wellcomia is described based on specimens obtained from the plains viscacha Lagostomus maximus (Chinchillidae) from Argentina. The description includes morphometric and ecological aspects and an emended diagnosis of the genus Wellcomia. In addition, a molecular characterisation (18S rRNA) and an exploratory analysis of the genetic distances of the species included in this genus are provided. The new species, Wellcomia hugoti n. sp., differs from other species of the genus in the morphology of the cephalic plate, the ventral rugose area in males and the vulva in females. The new species showed a low prevalence (7.7%) and a high mean abundance (73.8). The genetic distances detected do not allow a comprehensive assessment of the monophyly of the genus. This is the seventh record of this genus in rodents from the Americas, the second in rodents from Argentina and the first record for the family Chinchillidae.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amori G, De Smet K (2016) Hystrix cristata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T10746A22232484. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T10746A22232484.en

  • Animal Care and Use Committee (1998) Guidelines for the capture, handling, and care of mammals as approved by the American Society of Mammalogists. J Mammal 79:1416–1431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baylis HA (1922) Notes on some parasitic nematodes: I. on the genus Wellcomia, Sambon, and a new species of that genus, II. A new species of Ascaris from an Armadillo, III. Note on two species of Porrocaecum from birds. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, sér. 9, 9:494-504

  • Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM, Shostak AW (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. J Parasitol 83(4):575–583

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Child MF (2016) Pedetes capensis (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T16467A115133584. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16467A22240444.en

  • Cirignoli S (2019) Coendou prehensilis En: SAyDS-SAREM (eds.) Categorización 2019 de los mamíferos de Argentina según su riesgo de extinción. Lista Roja de los mamíferos de Argentina. http://cma.sarem.org.ar/es/especie-nativa/coendou-prehensilis. Accessed 15 Feb 2020

  • Cirignoli S, Lartigau B (2019) Lagostomus maximus En: SAyDS-SAREM (eds.) Categorización 2019 de los mamíferos de Argentina según su riesgo de extinción. Lista Roja de los mamíferos de Argentina. http://cma.sarem.org.ar/es/especie-nativa/lagostomus-maximus. Accessed 15 Feb 2020

  • Floyd RM, Rogers AD, Lambshead PJD, Smith CR (2005) Nematode-specific PCR primers for the 18S small subunit rRNA gene. Mol Ecol Notes 5:611–612. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2005.01009.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons LM (2010) Keys to the nematode parasites of vertebrates. Supplementary Volume. CABI Publishing, UK

  • Hall MC (1916) Nematodes parasites of mammals of the orders Rodentia, Lagomorpha and Hyracoidea. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 50:1–258

  • Hebert PDN, Cywinska A, Ball SL, deWaard JR (2003) Biological identifications through DNA barcodes. Proc R Soc Lond Ser B 270:313–321. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hugot JP (1982a) Sur le genre Wellcomia (Oxyuridae, Nematoda), parasite de Rongeurs archaïques. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 4° sér., 4, section A, (1-2), 25-48

  • Hugot JP (1982b) Sur le genre Hilgertia (Oxyuridae, Nematoda) parasite de Rongeurs Cténodactylidés. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 4° sér., 4, section A, (3-4), 419-431

  • Hugot JP (1988) Les nématodes Syphaciinae, parasites de Rongeurs et de Lagomorphes: Taxonomie, zoogéographie, évolution. Mémoires du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Série A, Zoologie, 141:1–158

  • Hugot JP (2003) New evidence for Hystricognath rodent monophyly from the phylogeny of their pinworms. In: Page RDM (ed) Tangled trees: phylogeny, cospeciation, and coevolution. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, pp 144–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Hugot JP, Feliu C, Douangboupha B, Ribas A (2013) Laoxyuris laonasti n. gen., n. sp. (Nematoda: Syphaciinae) parasite of Laonastes aenigmamus (Rodentia: Diatomyidae): morphology, biology, taxonomy, phylogeny. Infect Genet Evol 16:113–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2013.01.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JE, Branch LC, Villarreal D (1996) Lagostomus maximus. Mamm Species 543:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Stecher G, Li M, Knyaz C, Tamura K (2018) MEGA X: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis across computing platforms. Mol Biol Evol 35(6):1547–1549. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy096

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leidy J (1856) A synopsis of Entozoa and some of their ectocongeners observed by the author. Proc Acad Natl Sci Phila 8(1):42–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Linstow OV (1899) Nematoden aus der Berliner Zoologischen Sammlung. Mitteilungen aus der Zoologischen Sammlung des Museums für Naturkunde in Berlin 1(2):1–39

  • Mao CP (1939) Oxyures d’Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell d’Abyssinie. Révision du genre Wellcomia Sambon 1907. Ann Parasitol Hum Comp 17(4):336–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClure GW (1932) Nematode parasite of mammals with a description of a new species Wellcomia branickii from specimens collected in the New York Zoological Park, 1930. Zoologica 15(1):1–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Morin P, Berteaux D, Klvana I (2005) Hierarchical habitat selection by North American porcupines in southern boreal forest. Can J Zool 83(10):1333–1342. https://doi.org/10.1139/z05-129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quentin JC (1970) Description d’un nouvel Oxyurinae: Sypharista kamegaii n. gen., n. sp., parasite d’un Écureuil volant du Japon. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 2° sér., 42(5):989-995

  • Quentin JC (1973a) Les Oxyurinae de Rongeurs. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 3° sér., N° 167, Zoologie 112:1045–1096

  • Quentin JC (1973b) Morphologie et position systématique d’Oxyuris stossichi Setti, 1987. Intérêt paléobiogéographique de cette espèce. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 3° sér., N° 183, Zoologie 122:1403–1409

  • Roach N (2017) Dinomys branickii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T6608A22199194. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T6608A22199194.en

  • Roldán VA, Udrizar DES, Giannoni SM, Campos CM (2019) Dolichotis patagonum. En: SAyDS-SAREM (eds.) Categorización 2019 de los mamíferos de Argentina según su riesgo de extinción. Lista Roja de los mamíferos de Argentina. http://cma.sarem.org.ar/es/especie-nativa/dolichotis-patagonum. Accessed 15 Feb 2020

  • Sambon LW (1907) Descriptions of some new species of animal parasites. Proc Zool Soc London 1:282–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Setti E (1897) Nouvi elminti dell’Eritrea. Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia e Anatomia Comparata della Università di Genova 8(57):1–55

  • Smith AJ (1908) Synopsis of studies in metazoan parasitology in the McManes laboratory of pathology in the University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin 1-36

  • Spotorno A, Patton JL (2015) Superfamily Chinchilloidea Bennett 1833. In: Patton JL, Pardiñas UFJ, D’Elía G (eds) Mammals of South America, volume 2 - rodents. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 762–783

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutton CA, Hugot JP (1987) Contribution à la connaissance de la faune parasitaire d’Argentine XVIII. Etude morphologique de Wellcomia dolichotis n. sp. (Oxyuridae, Nematoda), parasite de Dolichotis patagonum. Syst Parasitol 10:85–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Travassos L (1937) Contribuição ao conhecimento da phylogenia dos Oxyuroidea (Nematoda). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 32(4):607–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vicente JJ, Rodrigues HO, Gomes DC, Pinto RM (1997) Nematóides do Brasil. Parte V: nematóides de mamíferos. Revista Brasilera de Zoologia 14(1):1–452. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81751997000500001

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Graciela Navone, Guillermo Panisse, Andrea Servián, Lucas Garbin, Cecilia Morgan and Pilar Martinez for their support in the laboratory, field, molecular analyses and revision of the English version of the manuscript (respectively). The authors would also like to thank Walter Ferrari for his help with molecular studies and Patricia Sarmiento for the SEM photographs from the Museo de La Plata. We are as well grateful to Alberto Ortiz Basualdo for his hospitality at the Estancia Palmira de Carpinchorí and Pablo Teta and Sergio Lucero for providing us with materials from the Mammal Collection of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia. Finally, we thank Claudio Ledesma of the Dirección de Minería, Medio ambiente y Recursos Naturales from the province of Entre Ríos and Mónica Rodríguez of the Dirección de Flora y Fauna from the province of Buenos Aires for granting us the necessary permits to collect and transport the study material.

Funding

This work was based on the research supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (PICT 2015-1348), Proyecto de Unidades Ejecutoras (PUE), and Proyecto de incentivos de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP N 627).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CCT La Plata CONICET-UNLP), 120 entre 60 y 64 S/N, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Victoria Canova, María del Rosario Robles & Agustín Manuel Abba

Authors
  1. Victoria Canova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. María del Rosario Robles
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Agustín Manuel Abba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to María del Rosario Robles.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Animal ethics

The research was conducted according to Argentine laws. Sample collection was carried out during fieldwork under official permission granted by the Dirección de Minería, Medio ambiente y Recursos Naturales, province of Entre Ríos, and the Dirección de Flora y Fauna, province of Buenos Aires and in accordance with the recommendations of the Guidelines for the capture, handling and care of mammals as approved by the American Society of Mammalogists (Animal Care and Use Committee 1998). No endangered species were involved (in this study).

Additional information

Section Editor: Hiroshi Sato

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Canova, V., del Rosario Robles, M. & Abba, A.M. A new species of Wellcomia (Nematoda: Oxyuridae) in the plains viscacha (Rodentia: Chinchillidae) from Argentina, an emended diagnosis and an update of the genus Wellcomia. Parasitol Res 120, 929–940 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-020-06980-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-020-06980-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation