Camallanus tuckeri n. sp. is described from specimens found in the intestine of the side-necked turtles Emydura australis and Chelodina burrungandjii collected from several localities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The new species differs from Camallanus chelonius, a parasite of African turtles, in the shape of the buccal capsule ridges, the number of precloacal papillae in males (7 pairs in the new species vs. 6 pairs in C. chelonius) and spicule shape. Camallanus tuckeri n. sp. differs from Camallanus waelhreow in the shape of buccal capsule ridges and the inflation of vulva lips in females. The new species differs from Camallanus nithoggi by possessing a smaller number of incomplete buccal capsule ridges (up to 2 in C. tuckeri n. sp. vs. 4 or 5 in C. nithoggi), larger spicules, and the inflation of a posterior vulva lip that is lacking in C. nithoggi. Camallanus tuckeri n. sp. is the first nematode reported from Em. australis and the first endoparasite reported from Ch. burrungandjii.

Falcaustra manouriacola n. sp. (Ascaridida: Kathlaniidae) from the large intestine of Manouria impressa (Testudines: Testudinidae) is described and illustrated. Falcaustra manouriacola represents the thirtieth Oriental species assigned to the genus and is distinguished from other Oriental species by the distribution pattern of the caudal papillae (10 precloacal, 2 adcloacal, 8 postcloacal), length of spicules (4.67–4.80 mm) and presence of a pseudosucker.

Nematodes collected at postmortem examination from the lungs of a yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle, Podocnemis unifilis, are described and assigned to a new genus, Pneumoatractis, the twenty-first genus of the superfamily Cosmocercoidea, family Atractidae. The new genus is most similar to congeners possessing a noncosmocercid esophagus and lacking anterior cuticularized formations, namely, Atractis, Cyrtosomum, Leiperenia, Monhysterides, Paratractis, and Rondonia. The new genus differs from the above congeners as follows: males of Atractis have 1 lagenoid spicule and 1 lanceolate spicule, males of Pneumoatractis possess 2 lanceolate spicules; males of Cyrtosomum lack a gubernaculum, a gubernaculum is present in Pneumoatractis; in Leiperenia the anterior part of the esophagus is one fourth of total length of esophagus, in Pneumoatractis the anterior part is one half of total length; Monhysterides lacks lips, which are well developed in Pneumoatractis; Paratractis has scale-like cuticular projections along the dorsal surface of the body in contrast to the smooth surface of Pneumoatractis; and females of Rondonia possess a cloaca, females of Pneumoatractis have separate openings for digestive and reproductive tracts. The new genus also differs from other genera of the family in that it was found in the lungs rather than the intestines.

Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) buckneri n. sp. is described from the blacktail redhorse Moxostoma poecilurum (Jordon) (Catostomidae) in the Tchoutacabouffa River, Mississippi, U.S.A. It is the sixteenth species of Neoechinorhynchus Stiles and Hassall, 1905, with unequal lemnisci, and the sixth in a subgroup with dorsal body wall markedly thicker than ventral. Another species of the latter group, Neoechinorhynchus (Hebesoma) carinatus Buckner and Buckner, 1993, was also collected in the Tchoutacabuffa River, Mississippi, and tributaries of 2 other streams in Louisiana, U.S.A., from the sharpfin chubsucker, Erimyzon tenuis (Agassiz). All 3 streams from the 2 adjacent states discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. Most of these 16 species occur in North American freshwater fishes. Females of N. buckneri n. sp. are twice as long as males and their dorsal body wall is 4 times as thick as the ventral body wall, compared with 2.5 times as thick in males. All other shared structures are of similar size in both sexes. Proboscis armature is unremarkable, with hook circles being evenly spaced and hook sizes in each circle of similar size, but slightly decreasing in size posteriorly from 38–42 µm long anteriorly to 33–34 µm long at middle to 25 µm long posteriorly in both sexes. It is further distinguished from the group of 16 other species of Neoechinorhynchus with unequal lemnisci and body wall thickness, by having moderately but not extremely diverse leminisci, noncontiguous testes, and posterior testis distant from cement gland. A key distinguishing N. buckneri n. sp. from other species with different dorsoventral body wall thickness is provided. Scanning electron microscopy studies show the porous cuticular surface and the curling of the posterior end of breeding females caused by the contraction of the paired paravaginal muscles, among other features.

Androlaelaps abrothrix n. sp., a new laelapine mite (Acari: Parasitiformes: Laelapidae), is described from the pelage of the abrotrichine rodent, Abrothrix longipilis (Waterhouse) (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae, Abrotrichini), collected from the Andean Patagonia region of Argentina. The description is based on the female, male, deutonymph, and protonymph.

A phylogenetic hypothesis was constructed with the use of ssu rDNA sequence data from 27 eugregarine species parasitizing a variety of arthropod hosts and habitats. The data were used to address higher-level character transitions, identify clades, recognize supraspecific taxonomic groups, assess the existing gregarine classification, and assess the effects of host metabolic pattern and habitat transitions on the radiation of the septatorinid gregarines. Suprageneric character transitions for association form, association timing, syzygy, gametocyst dehiscence, and oocyst liberation are defined. New character search based on the proposed phylogeny produced a morphological character set that correlates strongly with the sequence data. These morphological character sets are mapped to the new septatorinid phylogeny. Existing superfamily groups within Septatorina were recovered and a new superfamily recognized. At the family level, the monophyly of Actinocephalidae and Stylocephalidae is confirmed and the polyphyly of Gregarinidae is partially resolved with the recognition of Blabericolidae. At the generic level, the monophyly of Protomagalhaensia and Xiphocephalus is confirmed, the polyphyly of Leidyana is partially resolved with the recognition of Blabericola, and the polyphyly of Gregarina is revealed but cannot be resolved without additional taxonomic data. High-level diversification of Septatorina resulted from adaptations of the gametocyst, allowing colonization of both terrestrial and sweet-water habitats. Major radiations within the group correlate with host metamorphic pattern, suggesting that evolutionarily, gregarine species track niche resources along lines of transmission; they do not necessarily track host species in evolutionary time. Gregarine assemblages within a single host species may be either vicariant assemblages, (i.e., products of coevolutionary, phylogenetic effects), or ecotypic assemblages, (i.e., products of ecological fitting and host switching). The following systematic or nomenclatural acts are committed. Stenophoroidea and Gregarinoidea are emended. Diagnoses of Stenophoroidea, Gregarinoidea, and Sphaerocystidae are revised. Stylocephaloidea n. supfam., Blabericolidae n. fam., and Blabericola n. gen. are recognized and erected. Blabericola princisi n. comb., Blabericola cubensis n. comb., Blabericola haasi n. comb., and Blabericola migrator n. comb. are recognized. Schneideria, Neoschneideria, and Paraschneideria are removed from Sphaerocystidae and placed in Actinocephalidae. Protomagalhaensia is removed from Hirmocystidae and placed in Blabericolidae. Pyxinia is removed from Stylocephaloidea: Actinocephalidae and placed in Stenophoroidea: Monoductidae.

A survey of the nature and phylogenetic distribution of nematode vulval appendages revealed 3 major classes based on composition, position, and orientation that included membranes, flaps, and epiptygmata. Minor classes included cuticular inflations, protruding vulvar appendages of extruded gonadal tissues, vulval ridges, and peri-vulval pits. Vulval membranes were found in Mermithida, Triplonchida, Chromadorida, Rhabditidae, Panagrolaimidae, Tylenchida, and Trichostrongylidae. Vulval flaps were found in Desmodoroidea, Mermithida, Oxyuroidea, Tylenchida, Rhabditida, and Trichostrongyloidea. Epiptygmata were present within Aphelenchida, Tylenchida, Rhabditida, including the diverged Steinernematidae, and Enoplida. Within the Rhabditida, vulval ridges occurred in Cervidellus, peri-vulval pits in Strongyloides, cuticular inflations in Trichostrongylidae, and vulval cuticular sacs in Myolaimus and Deleyia. Vulval membranes have been confused with persistent copulatory sacs deposited by males, and some putative appendages may be artifactual. Vulval appendages occurred almost exclusively in commensal or parasitic nematode taxa. Appendages were discussed based on their relative taxonomic reliability, ecological associations, and distribution in the context of recent 18S ribosomal DNA molecular phylogenetic trees for the nematodes. Characters were found to be distributed across subsets of terminal and phylogenetically distant taxa, demonstrating considerable homoplasy. Accurate definitions, terminology, and documentation of the taxonomic distribution of vulval appendages are important in evaluations of hypotheses for either parallelism and developmental constraint or convergence and adaptation.

Helminth parasites of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) were surveyed in Bayou Traverse, a waterway in the LaBranche wetlands of southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A. In total, 1,255 parasites belonging to 8 species were collected and identified, including Ascocotyle ampullacea, Ascocotyle mcintoshi, Ascocotyle tenuicollis, Phagicola diminuta, Phagicola sp., Echinochasmus swartzi, Posthodiplostomum minimum, and Glossocercus sp. Adult parasites were obtained by infecting mice (Mus musculus), ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), and chicks (Gallus domesticus) with metacercariae from G. affinis. Bayou Traverse is characterized by snails and fish typical of brackish water habitats and is home to a rich piscivorous bird and mammal fauna. The parasites found in this study are consistent with helminths that parasitize birds and mammals as adults. This study is a survey of the trematodes and cestodes from an estuarine habitat.

The tench (Tinca tinca) was introduced illegally into Quebec, Canada, in aquaculture operations in 1986. The fish escaped into the Richelieu River in the early 1990s and has since established a reproducing population. Nine of 10 fish sampled in 2000 were infected with parasites, including Raphidascaris acus (80%), Ergasilus megaceros (60%), larval Valipora campylancristrota (20%) and larval Proteocephalidae (20%). The tench were infected with fewer parasite species than those in its native range, in accordance with the enemy escape hypothesis. The copepod E. megaceros is a new Canadian record, with tench being a new host record. Intensity of E. megaceros was positively related to fish weight. It is suggested that V. campylancristrota, a potentially pathogenic metacestode, may be an introduced species that arrived with the tench, although other possible sources of introduction are discussed. The concomittant introduction of the fish and the parasite V. campylancristota may pose a threat to the copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi), an endangered species found almost exclusively in the Richelieu River.

A checklist, based on bibliographical records and original data from an extensive survey, is presented for the metazoan parasites of Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842) in Argentinean Patagonia. The checklist includes 33 metazoan parasite entries: 5 myxozoans, 12 digeneans, 2 monogeneans, 3 cestodes, 2 acanthocephalans, 7 nematodes, 1 copepod, and 1 bivalve. Gyrodactylus sp., Pomphorhynchus patagonicus Ortubay, Úbeda, Semenas and Kennedy, 1991, and Hysterothylacium patagonense Moravec, Urawa and Coria, 1997 are reported for the first time from G. maculatus in South America. Although this checklist enlarges the knowledge of G. maculatus parasites, a large portion of Patagonia remains unexplored, and many of its lakes and rivers have never been surveyed for parasites, especially in the southern part of the region.

Twenty-two mink frogs, Rana septentrionalis, collected from two locations in Minnesota, United States, were examined for helminth and protozoan blood parasites in July 1999. A total of 16 parasite taxa were recovered including 5 larval digenean trematodes, 7 adult digenean trematodes, 3 nematodes, and 1 Trypanosoma species. Infracommunities were dominated by the digeneans in terms of richness and abundance. In particular, echinostomatid metacercariae in the kidneys of frogs were the most common parasites found, infecting 100% of the frogs and consisting of about 90% of all helminth individuals recovered. Gorgodera amplicava, Gorgoderina multilobata, Haematoloechus parviplexus, Haematoloechus breviplexus, Cosmocercoides dukae, and Oswaldocruzia pipiens represent new host records. The survey presented here represents the second known helminth survey of mink frogs conducted in North America. A summary of metazoan parasites reported from mink frogs is included.

Fifty-four Caucasian parsley frogs, Pelodytes caucasicus, from Turkey were examined for helminths in 2005. Found were 1 species of Digenea, Gorgodera cygnoides; 5 species of Nematoda, Agfa tauricus, Aplectana brumpti, Cosmocerca ornata, Oswaldocruzia filiformis, and Rhabdias bufonis; and 1 species of Acanthocephala, Pseudoacanthocephala caucasicus. Pelodytes caucasicus represents a new host record for each of the parasite species; Agfa tauricus and Pseudoacanthocephala caucasicus are reported from Turkey for the first time.

A total of 107 leptodactylid frogs representing 6 species, Leptodactylus fuscus (n  =  15), Leptodactylus leptodactyloides (n  =  9), Leptodactylus mystaceus (n  =  2), Leptodactylus ocellatus (n  =  31), Leptodactylus petersii (n  =  31), and Leptodactylus pustulatus (n  =  19), collected in the Brazilian state of Tocantins, were examined for helminths. One species of Digenea (Catadiscus marinholutzi), 6 species of Nematoda (adults of Cosmocerca podicipinus, Ochoterenella scalaris, Oswaldocruzia proencai, and Schrankiana larvata and larvae of Brevimulticaecum sp. and Physaloptera sp.), and 1 species of Acanthocephala (as cystacanths) were found. The mean number of helminth species infecting each frog species was 3.3 ± 2.1 SD, with a range of 1–7. Ten new host records are reported.

We report sporocysts and cercariae from 2 species of limpets (Siphonaria lessoni [n  =  500] and Kerguelenella lateralis [n  =  100]) and a metacercaria from S. lessoni, as well as an isopod (Exosphaeroma sp. [n  =  100]), all collected from the intertidal zone of the Argentinean Sea near Comodoro Rivadavia, Rada Tilly, and Punta Maqueda, Argentina. We assigned the limpet digeneans to Microphallidae, Schistosomatidae, and Hemiuroidea and provide a description of the metacercaria. We experimentally infected isopods with the microphallid cercaria for correlating this cercaria with metacercariae found in naturally infected isopods. Information regarding seasonal variation in prevalence is also provided.

Toxocara spp. are zoonotic helminths of domestic and wild mammals and have been implicated in serious human disease. The present study was undertaken to differentiate among various adult Toxocara spp. infecting some wild and stray mammals and to evaluate the frequency of infection by Toxocara in wild mammals that may serve as a potential source of Toxocara infection in humans. Infection by adult Toxocara canis (Warner, 1782) was found in 31 of 58 (53.4%) domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), 20 of 41 (48.8%) red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 27 of 43 (62.8%) grey wolves (Canis lupus); and 25 of 42 (59.5%) Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon); the grey wolf and the Egyptian mongoose are new host records for Egypt. Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) Brumpt, 1927, was found in 27 of 46 (58.7%) wild cats (Felis sylvestris). The mean intensity and abundance of T. canis was highest in grey wolves and lowest in red foxes. The prevalence, intensity, and abundance varied with host species, sex, and season. Prevalence of T. canis and T. cati was almost the same in both sexes in all of the examined hosts. However, intensity was significantly higher in females of red fox, gray wolf, and wild cat. Spring was the season of highest prevalence, intensity, and abundance of both T. canis and T. cati for most species examined. However, prevalence of T. canis in the red fox was highest in winter, whereas intensity was highest in the summer and spring, and the intensity and abundance of T. cati was highest in the autumn. Morphometric comparison between adults recovered from different hosts revealed significant variations. However, scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface features were similar, except for those recovered from grey wolves, which had inflated lips and papillae and variable cuticular ornamentation.

A survey, conducted during May and June 2007, involving 139 specimens of Procambarus acutus from 13 localities, within the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, U.S.A., indicated that adult Alloglossidium dolandi infected the antennal glands of crayfish inhabiting the coastal plains regions of 5 additional states. Infected crayfish were taken from roadside ditches and swamps, a lakeside wetland, and the backwater of a river. Recorded geographic distribution of the parasite was extended westward from eastern Mississippi into the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Prevalence of infection was 0% at 6 localities but ranged from 7.7% to 66.7% at 7 other localities. Comparative distribution patterns for A. dolandi and its sibling species Alloglossidium caridicolum suggest a case for allopatric speciation resulting from paleogeographic events beginning during late Pleistocene times.

Gravid dicrocoeliid flukes recovered from the liver of a vagrant shrew, Sorex vagrans, in Montana, U.S.A., were identified as Brachylecithum mosquensis by comparing their morphology and DNA sequences to specimens from 2 American robins, Turdus migratorius, from North Dakota, U.S.A. This is the first record in the world, to our knowledge, of a bird dicrocoeliid from a shrew and also the first record in North America of a dicrocoeliid parasitic in the genus Sorex.

Parenteral cystacanths of the acanthocephalan Leptorhynchoides thecatus have been reported from 50 species of fishes, and it has been suggested that transmission of paratenic worms to definitive hosts may play an important role in the life cycle of L. thecatus; however, no study has been conducted to assess the infectivity of parenteral cystacanths. Of 100 parenteral cystacanths taken from the mesenteries of green sunfish, 33 were recovered from experimentally infected largemouth bass, demonstrating the capability of parenteral worms to establish and survive in definitive hosts. These results suggest that transmission of parenteral L. thecatus from sunfish to largemouth bass may play an important role in the life cycle of at least some populations of L. thecatus.

Three species of nematodes (Acuariidae) were recovered from a total of 108 adult and chick Olrog's Gulls, Larus atlanticus. Birds were collected from a breeding colony in the Bahía Blanca estuary of Argentina, during the breeding seasons of 2005 (n  =  66 chicks, 3 adults), 2006 (n  =  37 chicks, 1 adult), and 2007 (n  =  1 chick). Nematodes were identified as Pectinospirura argentata, Skrjabinoclava andersoni, and Sciadiocara sp., and all represent new host and locality records. Prevalence of infection among chicks during the 2005 and 2006 breeding seasons was 80.3% and 89.2%, respectively, and 67% for adults in 2005. Also, third-stage acuarid nematodes were found in possible intermediate hosts, Neohelice granulata (Crustacea: Decapoda) and Cyrtograpsus angulatus (Crustacea: Decapoda).

Gastrointestinal helminths are reported from 3 species of Basiliscus lizards from Central America: Basiliscus basiliscus, Basiliscus plumifrons, and Basiliscus vittatus. Found were 1 species of Digenea, Parallopharynx gonzalezi, and 4 species of Nematoda, Africana telfordi, Cyrtosomum scelopori, Falcaustra sp., and Physocephalus sp. Parallopharynx gonzalezi, in B. plumifrons and B. vittatus, and Africana telfordi and Physocephalus sp., in B. plumifrons, are new host records. Four new locality records are reported.