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Meteterakis saotomensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Heterakidae) from Schistometopum thomense (Bocage) (Gymnophiona: Dermophiidae) on São Tomé Island

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Abstract

Meteterakis saotomensis n. sp. is described from Schistometopum thomense (Bocage), a gymnophionan endemic to the oceanic island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea. The specimens were assigned to Meteterakis Karve, 1930, based on the possession of a head with three rounded lips, not set-off from the body, the absence of interlabia and cordons, females with a long vagina and males with a preanal sucker, surrounded by a cuticularised rim and caudal alae that are supported by fleshy papillae. The new species is characterised by: body length 4.2–4.5 mm (males) and 5.1–6.4 mm (females); total length of oesophagus, including pharyngeal portion and oesophageal bulb, 820–856 µm (males) and 898–1,070 µm (females); length of pharynx 57–58 µm (males) and 65–68 µm (females); spicules equal, 410–521 µm long, with tessellated ornamentation throughout their length and alae, and with bevelled tip; gubernaculum or ‘gubernacular mass’ absent; tail length 164–176 µm (males) and 214–239 µm (females), with elongated tip; vulva at 2.3–2.8 mm from anterior end, with anterior lip forming small flap. This is the second species of Meteterakis reported from gymnophionan hosts and the first from the Afrotropical region. Selected comparative morphological data for Meteterakis spp. are presented, and data on host range and geographic distribution are updated. The name M. striaturus Oshmarin & Demshin, 1972 is corrected to M. striatura to reflect the female gender of the genus name.

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Acknowledgements

GJM would like to thank the DST-NRF Centres of Excellence for Invasive Biology. Marc Delêtre is recognised for his help with dissecting hosts. Professor Luping Zhang (Hebei Normal University) kindly provided a copy of a paper from a journal we found difficult to obtain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parasites, Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa

    Kerstin Junker

  2. Natural History Museum of Geneva, 1 Route de Malagnou, 1211, Geneva 6, Switzerland

    Jean Mariaux

  3. Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland

    Jean Mariaux

  4. Department of Botany and Zoology, Centre for Invasion Biology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    G. John Measey

  5. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Yasen Mutafchiev

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  1. Kerstin Junker
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  2. Jean Mariaux
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  4. Yasen Mutafchiev
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Correspondence to Kerstin Junker.

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Funding

This work was supported by a visit grant of the Natural History Museum of Geneva, Switzerland, and a grant of the National Research Foundation, South Africa, to one of the authors (KJ). Any opinion, finding and conclusion or recommendation expressed in this material is that of the authors and the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard. Field-work by GJM was supported through a European Commission Marie Curie Fellowship: HPMF-CT-2001-01407.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable institutional, national and international guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Junker, K., Mariaux, J., Measey, G.J. et al. Meteterakis saotomensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Heterakidae) from Schistometopum thomense (Bocage) (Gymnophiona: Dermophiidae) on São Tomé Island. Syst Parasitol 92, 131–139 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-015-9588-6

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