A new species of Temnocephala Blanchard (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida) ectosymbiont on creeping water bugs, Cryphocricos granulosus De Carlo (Hemiptera, Naucoridae) from southern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Temnocephala minutocirrus sp.sp. sp. sp. sp. nov nov nov nov nov. . . . ., an ectosymbiont on Cryphocricos granulosus De Carlo, 1967, is described from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. One hundred and nine naucorids were examined, of which 36 (33%) were positive for this species of Temnocephala Blanchard, 1849. In one sample of 94 creeping water bugs, 49 (52%) were 4 th instar nymphs, 6% of which were infested; 45 (48%) were adults, either brachypterous (40 with 18 males and 22 females) or macropterous (5 with 1 male and 4 females), 67% of which were infested (29% males and 38% females). Temnocephalan eggs were found both ventrally and dorsally: fixed on coxae, trochanters, and along the sternum between fore middle, and hind pairs of legs; basal of the abdominal area; and on the scutellum, clavus, and hemelytra. Juvenile and adult temnocephalans were always devoid of body pigmentation, and were found living on the ventral body surface, preferably over the sternum, between the middle and hind pairs of legs. The most distinctive features of this new species are: 1) unusually short cirrus, slightly curved, with introvert corresponding to 37% of its total length; 2) dorsolateral 'excretory' syncytial epidermal plates, elliptic, with excretory pore relatively equatorial, closer to inner limit of each plate; 3) two pairs of large disc gland cells (paranephrocytes?) located centrally, just ahead of testes; 4) testes relatively large, but unequal in size, anterior pair smaller, always in the same zone, those of the same side, partially superposed; and (5) vagina with weak muscular wall and without muscular sphincters.

Diceratocephala boschmai (Platyhelminthes: Temnocephalida) from crayfish farms in Thailand: investigation of the topographic surface and analysis of 18S ribosomal DNA sequences

“…The specimens were mounted on aluminum stubs, coated with gold at 20 nm of thickness in an ionsputtering apparatus (SPI-Model sputter coater) for 1 min, and examined with a JEOL JSM-5400 electron microscope operating at 15 kV. The organ structures were described following the terminology and abbreviations of Joffe et al (1995), Amato et al (2007), Volonterio (2009), andPanyarachun et al (2010). The measurement data of the 15 individuals are given in micrometers as mean ± standard deviation.…”

New species of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida) ectosymbiont on vulnerable species of aeglids (Crustacea, Anomura) from the Neotropical Region

“…For general measurements, the helminths were fixed with AFA, under slight cover slip pressure, following the protocols established by Amato et al (2007) and Seixas et al (2010). The specimens were stained with Delafield's hematoxylin or aceto-carmine/fast green, cleared in cedar oil, and mounted as permanent slides on Canada balsam.…”

Microturbellarians (Platyhelminthes and Acoelomorpha) in Brazil: invisible organisms?

“…Freshwater turbellarians from southern Brazil were investigated by Gamo and Leal-Zanchet (2004), Vara and Leal-Zanchet (2013) and Braccini and Leal-Zanchet (2013) in natural wetlands and agroecosystems. Temnocephalids from various Brazilian regions were studied by Monticelli (1899), Cuocolo (1940, 1941), Amato et al (2003Amato et al ( , 2006Amato et al ( , 2007Amato et al ( , 2010Amato et al ( , 2011, and Seixas et al (2010aSeixas et al ( , b, c, 2011Seixas et al ( , 2014.…”