Brevispina tasii (Brevispinidae) n. fam., n. gen., n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Stenophoroidea) is described from the crane fly Tipula umbrosa Loew, 1863 (Insecta: Diptera: Tipulidae: Tipulinae) collected from the Sam Houston National Forest, Watson Lakes, Walker County Texas, U.S.A. This family is distinguished from the existing families within Stenophoroidea by gamontic (precocious) association, oocysts that dehisce unchained by expulsion en mass in response to hyaline epicyst constriction, and development that is synchronized with and dependent upon host development. On the basis of these observations, a new family is described and the taxonomic status of existing tipulid gregarine taxa is revisited herein.

The myxozoan Kudoa inornata is a common parasite of the skeletal muscles of spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. This study was conducted to determine the distribution of plasmodia of K. inornata within individual C. nebulosus in order to identify muscle areas of least variation where future sampling would result in easily obtainable, repeatable, and dependable measurement of infection status. Fish were captured in the wild during June 2011. Muscle samples from 9 body areas were collected, in replicate, from each of 15 specimens of C. nebulosus of various ages and lengths infected by K. inornata. Body areas sampled included 6 locations from the fish epaxial and hypaxial muscles and 1 from each of the adductor mandibulae (cheek muscle), the cranial epaxial muscle, and the muscle of the caudal peduncle. Replicate samples were weighed and the number of plasmodia in each was recorded to determine the average density of plasmodia per gram of muscle in each area. The average density of plasmodia among fish was highly variable and was not correlated with fish size, age, or the homogeneity of distribution. Although the anterior hypaxial muscle (belly flap) was significantly more infected and the caudal peduncle less infected, when compared to all other areas examined in all fish combined, 10 out of 15 fish displayed an otherwise homogeneous distribution when data were analyzed fish by fish. Among the 5 fish with a nonuniform plasmodia distribution, 3 had a significantly higher burden in the belly flap, 1 in the area just posterior to the belly flap, and 1 in the cheek muscle. Based on these results, it was determined that hypaxial, caudal peduncle, and cheek muscles contributed greatly to the overall variation in plasmodia distribution observed whereas any portion of the epaxial muscle, as well as the cranial muscle, would be the least-variable areas to sample to determine the status of infection in any given fish.

The presence of Cucullanid nematodes was investigated in 10 individuals of Mugil bananensis, 115 Mugil cephalus, 109 Mugil curema, 89 Liza dumerili, 37 Liza falcipinnis, and 40 Liza grandisquamis, all collected from the Saloum estuary in Senegal, West Africa. Cucullanids were found only in intestines removed from M. curema and were identified using light microscopy. The results showed that 13 individuals of Mugil curema were found to be parasitized by 22 adult nematodes of a species new to science, Cucullanus djilorensis n. sp. (prevalence 11.9%, intensity 1.7). This species differs from all other species of the genus Cucullanus by a number of features including the form of the esophagus, the number and distribution of caudal papillae, the position of the excretory pore, and the length of the spicules. Cucullanus djilorensis n. sp. is the first species of the genus described from an estuarine fish in West Africa.

Homeomorpha mackiewiczi n. gen. n. sp. is described from spotted suckers, Minytrema melanops, collected from a small stream in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, U.S.A. The new genus is a member of the Caryophyllaeidae and is characterized by a uterus that loops anteriorly to the cirrus sac by more than the width of the uterus, preovarian vitelline follicles in distinct lateral rows, H-shaped ovary, 2 gonopores with genital atrium, an external seminal vesicle, postovarian vitellaria, and a cuneiloculate scolex. The new genus most closely resembles Hypocaryophyllaeus and Glaridacris, but members of Hypocaryophyllaeus do not possess postovarian vitellaria and members of Glaridacris have a uterus that does not loop anteriorly of the cirrus sac.

Gyrodactylus patersoni n. sp. is described from the gills of the Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia (L.) (Atherinidae), from Kingsport, Nova Scotia, Canada. The new species is the second species of Gyrodactylus to be reported from this host and is characterized by having small hamuli with short hamuli roots, a ventral bar with anterolateral processes of moderate size and a linguiform membrane, a dorsal bar with medial notch, and a male copulatory organ with 1 large spine and 5–6 terminal spines arranged in a single arched row. Gyrodactylus patersoni n. sp. most closely resembles Gyrodactylus stephanus Mueller, 1937 described from the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus L., from the northeastern coast of North America. The 2 species can be differentiated by the size of the hamuli (32.5 µm vs. 40.0 µm), length of the anterolateral processes (4.5 µm vs. 8.5 µm), number of copulatory spines (5–6 vs. 6–8) and, to a lesser degree, the shape of the marginal hook in that members of Gyrodactylus patersoni n. sp. have a slightly reduced heel and a more upright shaft. The description includes 438 sequenced base pairs (bp) of the 18S gene (including the V4 region) as well as 936 bp of the ITS region (ITS-1/5.8S/ITS-2). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) queries for the ITS and 18S fragments returned G. stephanus as most genetically similar (97.6% and 99.1%, respectively). Gyrodactylus patersoni n. sp. is a member of the Gyrodactylus arcuatus-group, a lineage that has successfully radiated through phylogenetically diverse fishes of the northern hemisphere, most of which share a littoral marine habitat.

Moniliformis kalahariensis Meyer, 1931 (Moniliformida Schmidt, 1972: Moniliformidae Van Cleave, 1924) is redescribed from long, unsegmented juveniles and pseudosegmented mature adults collected from the South African hedgehog Atelerix frontalis Smith, 1831 (Erinaceidae) in South Africa. The species has not been taxonomically treated since Meyer's original description of only segmented adults from the same host, A. frontalis, as well as from the unusual host, the Namaqua sandgrouse, Pterocles namaqua (Gmelin, 1789) (Pteroclididae), in Botswana and from cystacanths from Blattella (Phyllodromia) germanica Linnaeus, 1767 (Blattidae Karny, 1908) in Bombay, India. Despite the generous space Meyer devoted to the description of mature adults of M. kalahariensis in 1931, and his shorter description in 1932, both accounts lacked considerable important information. We examined some of Meyer's original adults and cystacanths from Berlin's Museum für Naturkunde by optical microscopy and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Meyer did not measure or illustrate the proboscis hooks but reported 14 hook rows with 9–10 hooks each in his adult and cystacanth specimens. The proboscis of our juvenile and adult specimens from South Africa had 16 hook rows each with 9–11 hooks. One adult from Meyer's specimens that we examined using SEM had at least 16 proboscis hook rows, and one of his cystacanths had 14 hook rows each with 10–12 hooks. Our report provides new illustrations and morphometric data of the long juvenile and mature adults and gives the full range of measurements of proboscis armature. We further describe, for the first time, the 2 apical pores on the proboscis in all stages; the proboscis hooks and their lateral slits and the spiniform hooks in adult worms; hook roots; the reproductive system in both males and females (only the size and placement of testes were reported and an egg was illustrated by Meyer in 1931 and 1932); sensory pores; and the sensory plates near the posterior end of adult males. Lastly, we also describe the large unsegmented juveniles to which Meyer made no reference.

Nine species of acanthocephalans have previously been reported from the raccoon, Procyon lotor, from North America: Centrorhynchus conspectus, Centrorhynchus sp., Echinorhynchus gadi, Moniliformis sp., Neoechinorhynchus cylindratus, Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa, Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus, Profilicollis botulus, and Macracanthorhynchus ingens. Herein is reported for the first time the collection of Arythmorhynchus frassoni, Centrorhynchus spinonsus, and Southwellina hispida, each from single raccoons on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. The specimen previously identified as O. tortuosa was redetermined as M. ingens. Thus, this brings the total number of acanthocephalan species reported from the raccoon to 11. Infections of raccoons with all but M. ingens were of immature worms acquired by ingestion of intermediate or paratenic hosts or worms apparently ingested with infected definitive hosts. The many extensive surveys conducted of raccoons suggest that M. ingens is the only acanthocephalan that utilizes Procyon lotor as definitive host. A faunal review of M. ingens is provided, revealing that this acanthocephalan exhibits a broad distribution across much of the eastern United States. Macracanthorhynchus ingens is reported for the first time from Mississippi, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Also, M. ingens is reported for the first time from a raccoon (P. lotor) in Nicaragua and a kinkajou (Potos flavus) in Colombia. Additionally, cystacanths are reported from a bess beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus, from Louisiana, representing a new intermediate host record and the first report of the natural occurrence of M. ingens from a coleopteran.

Oligacanthorhynchus microcephalus (Rudolphi, 1819) Schmidt, 1972 was originally described from the philander opossum Caluromys philander from Brazil. Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa (Leidy, 1850) Schmidt, 1972 was originally described from the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) in North America. Six years after describing O. tortuosa, Leidy indicated the synonomy of O. tortuosa with O. microcephalus. This taxonomic view persisted for decades until Van Cleave, in 1924, recognized the validity of O. tortuosa, apparently without examining the type material of O. microcephalus. Subsequent workers have recognized 2 species of Oligacanthorhynchus from New World opossums: O. microcephalus from South American opossums and O. tortuosa from North American opossums. In this study, comparison of individuals of O. tortuosa from D. virginiana from the United States with the type specimen of O. microcephalus revealed the worms to be conspecific. It was thus determined that O. tortuosa is a junior synonym of O. microcephalus and O. microcephalus is redescribed on the basis of both laboratory-reared material and the type specimen. Additionally, comparison of the type material of Oligacanthorhyncus tumida (Van Cleave, 1947) Schmidt, 1972 revealed these specimens to be conspecific with O. microcephalus; thus O. tumida (Van Cleave, 1947) Schmidt, 1972 is considered a junior synonym of O. microcephalus. Analysis of the literature and museum specimens reveals that O. microcephalus exhibits a broad distribution throughout much of the New World, utilizing an array of hosts with substantially overlapping ranges.

Lissorchis nelsoni (Trematoda: Lissorchiidae) is described from the intestines of the spotted sucker, Minytrema melanops (Rafinesque) from the Wolf River in central Wisconsin and from Navigation Pools 8 and 9 of the upper Mississippi River near La Crosse and Genoa, Wisconsin. It is readily distinguished from all other species of Lissorchis by a combination of its surface structures, massive cirrus sac bent at an angle (often almost an inverted “L”), bipartite seminal vesicle, large acetabulum, a trilobed ovary, its vitellarium, and a type B uterine configuration, of which the cirrus sac is perhaps the most useful for stained material. It is morphologically similar to Lissorchis mutabile in having a similar size and body shape, similar number and arrangement of vitelline follicles, and a distinctly trilobed ovary. In addition to differences in the cirrus sac morphology, it also differs from L. mutabile in having an extensively coiled uterus that extends on both sides of the hindbody.

Two species of geckos, Gekko vittatus, Gehyra oceanica and 5 species of skinks, Caledoniscincus atropunctatus, Emoia cyanogaster, Emoia erronan, Emoia nigra, and Emoia sanfordi from the Republic of Vanuatu were examined for helminths. One species of Digenea (Mesocoelium microon), 3 species of Cestoda (Gekkotaenia novaeguineaensis, Cylindrotaenia hickmani, Ophiotaenia greeri), and 7 species of Nematoda, gravid individuals of Hedruris hanleyae, Maxvachonia chabaudi, Parapharyngodon maplestoni, Spauligodon gehyrae, Spauligodon zweifeli, juveniles assigned to the Filarioidea, and larvae of Physocephalus sp. in cysts were found. Eighteen new host records and 7 new locality records are reported. The lizards of Vanuatu are infected by generalist helminths that occur in a variety of lizards throughout Oceania.

This note describes the first occurrence of Hapalotrema postorchis Rao, 1976 in the heart of Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Linnaeus, 1758, from Espírito Santo State, Brazil. This parasite has previously been reported only in Chelonia mydas from India, Australia, the United States, Costa Rica, and Taiwan. The note constitutes the first documented occurrence of this parasite in sea turtles from the western South Atlantic Ocean.

Five species of damselflies, Argia sedula, Ischnura ramburii, Enallagma basidens, Enallagma civile, and Enallagma carcunculatum, were collected from Imperial and San Diego counties in California, U.S.A., and were found to collectively host 4 species of actinocephalid gregarines. Setasedecim fursus n. gen., n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Actinocephalidae: Acanthosporinae) is described from the adults of Rambur's forktail Ischnura ramburii (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from Sunbeam Lake, Imperial County. This genus is distinguished from the existing genera within Acanthosporinae by oocysts bearing a total of 16 spines: 8 equatorial, 2 at each equatorial vertex, terminal spines inserted at each pole, and 1 at each vertex created by polar truncations. The gregarines recovered are referable to the family Actinocephalidae but are taxonomically distinct from its constituent genera. We describe the new taxon and provide new host and locality records for known actinocephalid gregarines.

Cosmocercella samorekensis n. sp. from the intestine of Tribolonotus novaeguineae collected in Papua New Guinea is described and illustrated. Cosmocercella samorekensis is unique among species of Cosmocercella in that it is the only species to possess 3 pairs of vesiculate rosette papillae. Seven species of Nematoda were also present: gravid individuals of Aplectana macintoshii, Cosmocerca zugi, Meteterakis crombiei, Oswaldocruzia bakeri, and Parapharyngodon maplestoni and larva in cysts assigned to Abbreviata sp. and Riticulariidae gen. sp. Four new host records are reported.

Fifty-three kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were collected from 9 counties in New Mexico from 1996 to 1998 and examined for helminth parasites. Forty-seven (88.7%) were infected. The cestodes found included Dipylidium caninum in 15 (28.3%), Mesocestoides variabilis in 29 (54.7%), and Taenia multiceps in 1 (1.9%). The nematodes include Ancylostoma caninum in 2 (3.8%), Toxocara canis in 2 (3.8%), Toxocara cati in 1 (1.9%), Toxascaris leonina in 32 (60.4%), and Physaloptera rara in 31 (58.5%) foxes. This is the first report of these parasites in kit foxes from New Mexico. Taenia multiceps, Ancylostoma caninum, Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, and P. rara are recorded for the first time in kit foxes.

Two individual physid snails that were collected from the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico in August 2007 each released a distinct type of digenean cercaria. The cercariae were photographed, and DNA was extracted from both types of cercariae and their snail hosts. Nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA gene sequences of both digeneans and mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences for the snails were PCR amplified and sequenced directly. Snails were identified as Physella acuta based on sequence data. Phylogenetic analyses relative to a preexisting set of concatenated 18S and 28S sequences from various digeneans, and their associations with P. acuta as snail host, indicated that the 2 parasites represent an unclassified spirorchid and a paramphistome, respectively. The data provided may aid in future resolution of the complete lifecycles of these digenean parasites and in the evaluation of their impact on the fauna in the unique Rio Grande Bosque region of New Mexico.

Acanthocephalan parasites, Serrasentis sagittifer, from a shark, Carcharhinus sorrah, and a species of Pararhadinorhynchus from a ray, Himantura granulata, are reported from Queensland, Australia. The collection of acanthocephalans from cartilaginous fish (elasmobranchs) as either occasional or definitive hosts is unusual, but not unknown. In this instance, the finding of S. sagittifer is considered an occasional infection. The life cycle of Pararhadinorhynchus sp., 1 of 4 species known only from elasmobranch hosts, is equivocal, as putative bony fish hosts are unknown. Of the other 3 species, only Megapriapus ungriai has an elasmobranch acknowledged as the definitive host.

We present the results of a multiyear survey of the fleas from ctenomyid rodents across many different habitats from throughout Bolivia. New species records for Bolivia include Tiamastus palpalis and Ectinorus (Panallius) galeanus. New records of fleas from Ctenomys in Bolivia include Gephyropsylla klagesi, Sphinctopsylla inca, and Tetrapsyllus tristis.

Forty-five individuals of Polypedates megacephalus were collected from northern Taiwan for dietary analysis. The helminths from 10 infected sampled specimens included representatives of 1 species of Acanthocephala, Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis, and 2 species of Nematoda, Cosmocerca ornata and Oswaldocruzia hoepplii. Polypedates megacephalus is a new host record for both C. ornata and O. hoepplii.

Forty-four Kiricephalus pattoni (Stephens, 1908) nymphs were recorded as subcutaneous lumps in 2 lizard and 2 snake species, collected from the wild in southwestern Taiwan. The number of nymphs collected from under the epidermis of each animal ranged in the snakes from 1 to 22, whereas in lizards it ranged from 1 to 6. The lizard Plestiodon elegans represents a new host record for K. pattoni.

Two individuals of Tritetrabdella taiwana that attached to a microhylid Asian painted frog, Kaloula pulchra, were collected in Hong Kong, China. This finding represents a new microhylid host record for T. taiwana. Additionally, molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on COI sequence data. The present phylogenies indicated that further taxonomic studies are needed to clarify the taxonomic status of the species of Tritetrabdella.