Infection rates of pentastomids on lizards in urban habitats in the Brazilian northeast

Abstract

The rates of pentastomid infections in the syntopic lizards Hemidactylus mabouia and Tropidurus hispidus inhabiting buildings at the Federal University of Paraiba, in João Pessoa, NE Brazil were examined. A total of 30 specimens of Hemidactylus mabouia and 55 specimens of Tropidurus hispidus were examined. The animals were sacrificed by freezing and then fixed and conserved in 70% alcohol. Analyses of the respiratory tract of Hemidactylus mabouia demonstrated that these lizards were infected by Raillietiella frenatus at a rate of 20% (6/30) with an average infection intensity of 1.33 ± 0.21, 1-2. None of the specimens of T. hispidus analyzed were infected. Hemidactylus mabouia and R. frenatus are of African origin and it is possible that there are specific relationships, or preferences, between these two species.Keywords: parasitism, house geckos, neotropical region. Hemidactylus mabouia e R. frenatus possuem origem africana e é possível que haja alguma relação de especificidade ou preferência entre essas espécies. Níveis de infecção por pentastomídeos em lagartos de habitats urbanos no nordeste brasileiroPalavras-chave: parasitismo, lagartixas domiciliares, região neotropical.

Raillietiella mottae (Pentastomida: Raillietiellidae) parasitizing four species of Gekkota lizards (Gekkonidae and Phyllodactylidae) in the Brazilian Caatinga

“…a) All infection records for pentastomids in Brazil including this study, b) includes only studies that sampled more than 15 individuals of the same lizard species. References with number of hosts in parenthesis: Tropidurus hispidus (n = 18, Almeida et al, 2008a; n = 288, Brito et al, 2014b; n = 411, Araujo-Filho et al, 2016), T. semitaeniatus (n = 15, Almeida et al, 2008b; n = 120, Brito et al, 2014b), Micrablepharus maximiliani (n = 75, Almeida et al, 2009a), Mabuya arajara (n = 125, Ribeiro et al, 2012), M. agilis (n = 11, n = 28, Vrcibradic et al, 2002), Cnemidophorus abaetensis (n = 33, Dias et al, 2005), C. ocellifer (n = 40, Dias et al, 2005), Phyllopezus periosus (n = 6, Almeida et al, 2008b; n = 6, Brito et al, 2014b), Hemidactylus mabouia (n = 37, Anjos et al, 2007; n = 30, Almeida et al, 2008c; n = 76, Sousa et al, 2014; n = 277, Bezerra et al, 2016), P. pollicaris (n = 6, Almeida et al, 2008b; n = 22, Sousa et al, 2010; n = 94, Brito et al, 2014b; n = 132, this study) H. agrius (n = 63, this study), Gymnodactylus geckoides (n = 71, this study) and H.brasilianus (n = 24, this study).…”

“…= 0.66 %); T. semitaeniatus (n = 15, Prev = 13.3 %, Almeida et al, 2008b; n = 120, Prev = 0.51 %, Brito et al, 2014b); M. maximiliani (N = 75, Prev = 4 %, Almeida et al, 2009a), and M. arajara (n = 125, Prev = 1.6 %, Ribeiro et al, 2012). Only three studies with similar sample size (15 geckos) found a higher prevalence: H. mabouia (n = 37, Prev = 45.9 %, Anjos et al, 2007; n = 30, Prev = 20 %, Almeida et al, 2008c) and P. pollicaris (n = 22, Prev = 18.18 %, Sousa et al, 2010).…”

“…furcocerca (Almeida et al, 2009a) and Micrablepharus maximiliani (Reinhardt & Luetken, 1862) parasitized by R. mottae (Almeida et al, 2009a). Also, Anjos et al (2007) and Almeida et al (2008c) found R. mottae and R. renata , Sousa et al (2014) recorded only R. mottae parasitizing Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818) in houses, R. frenata in the north east coast of Brazil (Bezerra et al, 2016), while Trachylepis atlantica (Schmidt, 1945) was infected by R. freitasi in the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco (Brito et al, 2012). In the Caatinga, R. mottae was recorded infecting Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Almeida et al, 2008a, 2008b, 2009b; Brito et al, 2014b; Araujo Filho et al, 2016), T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825) (Almeida et al, 2008b, 2009b, Brito et al, 2014b), Phyllopezus periosus Rodrigues, 1986 (Almeida et al, 2008b; Brito et al, 2014b), P. pollicaris (Spix, 1825) (Almeida et al, 2008b; Sousa et al, 2010, 2014; Brito et al, 2014b) and M. arajara Rebouças-Spieker, 1981 (Ribeiro et al, 2012).…”

An introduced pentastomid parasite (Raillietiella frenata) infects native cane toads (Rhinella marina) in Panama

“…The two most likely pathways by which this parasite could have been introduced to Panama are: (1) spread from adjacent infected areas, or (2) introduction to Panama via cargo (likely from Asia). Raillietiella frenata has been recorded in introduced Hemidactylus turcicus in Texas, USA (Pence and Selcer, 1988) and Hemidactylus mabouia in Brazil (Anjos et al 2007(Anjos et al , 2008Almeida et al 2008), however neither of these gecko species are established in Panama (R. Ibáñez, personal communication). If the parasite spread into Panama from either Texas or Brazil, we would expect infected toads across their entire native range (southern Texas to Brazil; Lever, 2001).…”

Raillietiella mottae (Pentastomida: Raillietiellidae) infecting Ameiva ameiva (Squamata: Teiidae) in Araripe Plateau, Northeast Brazil

“…Raillietiella Vaney & Sambon, 1910 is one of the few groups of Pentastomids that infect the respiratory tract of amphisbaenids, lizards and snakes recorded in South America (Almeida et al, 2008d). Studies involving pentastomid infection in lizards in the Neotropics were recorded, mostly in Brazil: Mabuya agilis Raddi, 1823 infected larvae Raillietiella sp.…”