Meteterakis pursatensis n. sp. (Nematoda, Heterakidae) from the large intestine of Physignathus cocincinus (Squamata, Agamidae) is described and illustrated. Meteterakis pursatensis n. sp. represents the 21st Oriental species assigned to the genus, and is distinguished from other Oriental species by the distribution pattern of the genital papillae, 7 pairs, 1 pair anteriolateral to ventral sucker but within anterior limits of caudal alae, 1 pair medial to anterior fleshy papillae, 3 pair posterior medial to posterior papillae of anterior fleshy pair, 2 pair tandem, midway between ventral sucker and cloaca, and length of spicules (0.50–0.57 mm).

A new oxyuroid nematode, Ichthyouris nunani n. sp., is described from the intestine of the freshwater benthopelagic characiform fishes Laemolyta taeniata and Curimata acutirostris, both of which were caught in the Tocantins River, State of Maranhão, Brazil. The new species is easily distinguished from all other species of the genus mainly because of the distribution of the male caudal papillae, the morphology of the spicule, and the fact that the eggs have an operculum and many long, thread-like filaments at each pole. This is the first helminth species described in both hosts, and this report contributes to the knowledge of the helminthological fauna of fish in the Neotropical region.

The eyes, breast muscle, and internal organs of 128 hunter-shot northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) from the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas, U.S.A., were examined for helminths. Six species of nematodes, 1 acanthocephalan, and 1 cestode were found in 120 bobwhites, representing 18,205 helminth individuals. Aulonocephalus pennula was the most common (91% prevalence) and numerically abundant (91% of all individuals) species, followed by Oxyspirura petrowi (66% prevalence and 7% of all individuals). Each of the remaining 6 species was rare (<24% prevalence). Species richness was low compared to studies from the southeastern United States. Of the species found, Tetrameres pattersoni, Cheliospiruraspinosa, and O. petrowi are known to cause pathology in quail. Prevalence and mean abundance of O. petrowi were higher in adults than juveniles. Host age did not influence prevalence of A. pennula, and host sex did not influence prevalence or mean abundance of A. pennula or O. petrowi.

Adenocephalus pacificus (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) is a fish foodborne zoonotic parasite whose stage of plerocercoid has been identified in marine fish. The objective of this study is to report for first time the infection by A. cf. pacificus in the anadromous Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, from the Simpson River, Chile. During July 1997 and July 1998, the fish were examined for diphyllobothriidean parasites. The plerocercoids were found encysted in the stomach, peritoneum, liver, spleen, gonads, and muscles. The prevalence of infection fluctuated between 75.0 and 100% and the mean intensity was between 31.6 ± 25.4 and 34.9 ± 27.9 plerocercoids in July 1997 and July 1998, respectively. The frequency of plerocercoids in the muscles was 15.6 to 20.0%, respectively, and the mean was 0.3–0.4 plerocercoids/infected fish. Eight adult dogs were submitted to fecal exams and treated with a broad-spectrum antiparasitic. Six of 8 dogs were successfully orally infected by freshly obtained plerocercoids. Two of them ingested 40 plerocercoids, and we recovered between 34 and 32 cestodes at 21 and 27 d postinfection (DPI), respectively; we identified only 3 gravid specimens in the last dog and the rest of the worms were nongravid. The other dogs presented between 1 and 4 cestodes at 29 and 44 DPI. The prepatent period fluctuated between 21 and 28 DPI and the gravid cestodes measured between 24 and 104 cm long. Morphological identification of the studied adults was confirmed by light and scanning electron microscopy.

Ostreobdella californiana n. sp. is described from rockfishes in the genus Sebastes in public display tanks in the Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, U.S.A., and in the Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay, California. New species justification was based on external morphology, histology, and molecular sequence data. Leeches are small, up to 12 mm total length. Oral sucker is larger than caudal sucker, with 1 pair of eyes on the oral sucker and 10 ocelli on the caudal sucker. Segmental ocelli occur both dorsally and ventrally on the urosome. Small papillae are present on urosome segments, but pulsatile vesicles are absent. There are 6 pairs of testisacs. The male reproductive system has a muscular organ replacing the typical atrium and a complex system of conducting/vector tissue. Mycetomes are present, and postceca are fused with fenestrae at each ganglion.

We examined the gizzards of 80 hunter-shot gadwalls (Mareca strepera) collected November–January during the 2008–2009 (n = 46) and 2009–2010 (n = 34) hunting seasons at the Justin Hurst Wildlife Management Area in Brazoria County, Texas, U.S.A., and the Mad Island Wildlife Management Area in Matagorda County, Texas. Three species of nematodes (Amidostomum acutum, Epomidiostomum uncinatum, and Streptocara crassicauda) were found comprising 237 individuals. Epomidiostomum uncinatum was the most prevalent (55%), followed by A. acutum (53%) and S. crassicauda (1%). Intensity of infection of A. acutum and E. uncinatum averaged 2.8 ± 0.3 (SE) and 2.7 ± 0.3, respectively, and mean abundance averaged 1.5 ± 0.2 and 1.5 ± 0.2, respectively. Differences in prevalence and mean abundance for A. acutum and E. uncinatum were not significant by hunting season, host age, or host sex. Our findings represent new information about gizzard helminth infections in gadwalls wintering along the mid-Texas coast.

Between June 1998 and July 1999, 3 Alfaro's rice rats (Handleyomys alfaroi) and 3 Bolivar rice rats (Transandinomys bolivaris) from the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, were examined for parasites. Adult nematodes representing 4 taxa were collected: Physaloptera calnuensis, Stilestrongylus hidalguensis, and Syphacia sp. (from H. alfaroi) and in T. bolivaris. This report represents the first record for P. calnuensis and S. hidalguensis in Costa Rica; furthermore, this is the first time these helminths have been documented infecting H. alfaroi and T. bolivaris. Based on this study and in the compilation of information related to the nematodes described in wild Costa Rican mammals, we determined that 68 helminth taxa have been registered so far (35 named species and 33 taxa) parasitizing 29 species of mammals.

In June 2014, 30 marbled toads (Incilius marmoreus) from Oaxaca, Mexico were examined for helminths. We collected a total of 3,783 helminths belonging to 13 taxa: 4 digenean, 1 cestode, 1 acanthocephalan, and 7 nematoda. The nematode Physocephalus sp. was the most prevalent (63.3%) followed by Aplectana sp., which had the highest mean intensity (114.3) and mean abundance (63.8) that we recorded. The taxonomic composition of I. marmoreus mainly consists of generalist helminths, with nematodes being the predominant parasites found, confirming the terrestrial habits of this toad. The main route of helminth acquisition was ingestion of larvae and/or intermediate hosts, a process that also likely contributes to the high abundance of individuals in the toads. The knowledge of the helminth fauna associated to the 39 toad species distributed in Mexico is scarce and fragmentary, and our study presents results for only the second bufonid species studied in this region.

Two specimens of the marine leech Pontobdella macrothela were found parasitizing the carcharhinid shark, Negaprion acutidens, at St. Joseph Atoll, Amirantes, Republic of Seychelles. This report presents the first record of this piscicolid leech from N. acutidens and is one of the few records of P. macrothela in the West Indian Ocean.

An imported white-lipped island pitviper, Trimeresurus insularis, originally collected from Wetar Island, Indonesia and held in quarantine and housed at the Dallas Zoo, U.S.A., unexpectedly died and was examined for gastrointestinal helminths. The pitviper harbored 6 female ascarid nematodes identified as Polydelphis anoura Dujardin, 1845. This snake is rarely examined and herein we report only the second record of any parasite from this host as well as a new distributional record for P. anoura.

The Apicystis bombi neogregarines parasitize bumblebees. Apis mellifera is its accidental host, but, in the future, it might become its ultimate host. Using polymerase chain reaction and microscopic analysis, we found A. bombi in 1 of 10 apiaries in Central Europe. The colony was queenless, with rebel workers. The parasite was detected in the hemolymph and digestive tracts but not in the fat bodies of the honeybee workers, whereas in its original host (bumblebees), it also occurs in the fat bodies.

Twenty-three dactyloid anoles (Ruthven's anole, Anolis bonairensis) from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, were examined for gastrointestinal helminths. Four species of Nematoda were found: Parapharyngodon cubensis, Oswal-docruzia lenteixeirai, Spauligodon bonairensis, and Acuariidae gen. sp. (larva in cyst). Acuariidae gen. sp. had the largest number of individuals (63) and the highest prevalence (39.1%). Anolis bonairensis represents a new host record for each helminth. Anolis bonairensis is parasitized by generalist helminths that also infect other lizards.