Checklist of freshwater symbiotic temnocephalans (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora, Temnocephalida) from the Neotropics

Abstract

Based on published records and original data derived from our research, we have generated a checklist of symbiotic temnocephalan fauna from 57 taxa of freshwater invertebrate and vertebrate hosts from 16 families included in four classes from the Neotropics. The checklist contains 38 nominal species from 3 genera belonging to the Temnocephalida families Diceratocephalidae, Didymorchidae and Temnocephalidae. All taxa (35) of the genus Temnocephala are endemic to the Neotropics and 14 (40%) are considered microendemic (i.e. only one record each from a single locality). While only one species and one variety of Didymorchis are known from the Neotropics; there are also two putative undescribed species of this genus. Only Diceratocephala boschmai (Diceratocephalidae) is reported as an introduced species from Uruguay. Host specificity to a particular group of invertebrates and vertebrates is the first evidence for the ecological and evolutionary associations that will be analyzed in future studies.

Six freshwater microturbellarian species (Platyhelminthes) in permanent wetlands of the Coastal Plain of southern Brazil: new records, abundance, and distribution

“…The diversity and distribution of microturbellarians are poorly known in the Neotropical region, and most knowledge is restricted to taxonomic works (Noreña et al 2004, Brusa 2006, Damborenea et al 2007, Brusa et al 2008, Adami et al 2012, Martínez-Aquino et al 2014, Braccini et al 2016. In the present work, we report new records of 6 microturbellarian species, 3 of them previously reported only from their type localities.…”

“…An extensive area of the Neotropical region, as well as other parts of the world, has no or only scattered taxonomic and/or ecological studies , Schockaert et al 2008, Martínez-Aquino et al 2014, Braccini et al 2016, and thus, the known diversity of this group is seemingly highly underestimated.…”

“…The distribution of microturbellarians in the Neotropical region is mainly known from taxonomic studies, most of which were done in Argentina and Brazil (e.g. Marcus 1945a, b, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, Noreña et al 2004, Brusa 2006, Damborenea et al 2007, Brusa et al 2008, Adami et al 2012, Martínez-Aquino et al 2014, Braccini et al 2016. In Brazil, the distribution of microturbellarian species is mainly known from taxonomical works done by Marcus (e.g.…”

A new flatworm species of Temnocephala (Rhabdocoela, Temnocephalidae) ectosymbiont on the freshwater crab Valdivia serrata (Decapoda, Trichodactylidae) from Amazonas, Colombia

“…Major hosts to the members of the Temnocephala are chelonians, molluscs, insects, and crustaceans, each hosting a particular assemblage of Temnocephala species. Particular host families are also specific for particular Temnocephala species (Martínez-Aquino et al 2014).…”

“…The genus Temnocephala Blanchard, 1849 includes 37 species of symbiotic freshwater rhabdocoels from the Neotropics, which are associated with a large variety of hosts including chelonians (3), mollusks (6), insects (7) and crustaceans (21) (Garcés et al 2013, Martínez-Aquino et al 2014, Arias-Pineda et al 2015, Seixas et al 2015a, Ponce de León and Volonterio 2018, Seixas et al 2018. At present, only two species have been described from Colombia, T. colombiensis Garcés, Puerta, Tabares, Lenis & Velásquez, 2013, ectosymbiont of the gastropod Pomacea sp., and T. icononcensis Arias-Pineda, Damborenea & Castro, 2015, hosted by the pseudothelphusid crabs Hypolobocera bouvieri (Rathbun 1898), Phallangothelphusa dispar (Zimmer 1912) and Strengeriana cajaensis Campos & Rodríguez, 1993.…”