Spirorchis spp. (Digenea: Schistosomatoidea) infecting map turtles (Cryptodira: Emydidae: Graptemys spp.) in southeastern North America: A new species, molecular phylogenies, and key to species

Syst Parasitol. 2019 Jan;96(1):51-64. doi: 10.1007/s11230-018-9831-z. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Abstract

Black-knobbed map turtles (Graptemys nigrinoda Cagle) and Alabama map turtles (Graptemys pulchra Baur) were infected with several blood flukes in Alabama (southeastern North America). Spirorchis paraminutus Roberts & Bullard n. sp. differs from its congeners by having a body that is 12-24× longer than wide, a testicular column of 10 testes that is 1/5-1/4 of the body length and located far posterior to the caecal bifurcation (the anterior-most testis is located in the posterior body half), and a common genital pore that is ventral to the ovary and 1/4-1/3 of the body length from the posterior extremity. These turtles and an Escambia map turtle (Graptemys ernsti Lovich & McCoy) were infected with Spirorchis elegans Stunkard, 1923, Spirorchis scripta Stunkard, 1923 and two innominate species of Spirorchis MacCallum, 1918. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS2) and large subunit rDNA (28S) recovered a monophyletic Spirorchis and the new species sister to Spirorchis collinsi Roberts & Bullard, 2016.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alabama
  • Animals
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Phylogeny*
  • Species Specificity
  • Trematoda / anatomy & histology
  • Trematoda / classification*
  • Trematoda / genetics
  • Turtles / parasitology*

Substances

  • DNA, Ribosomal