ORIGINAL ARTICLE /ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL
FIRST REPORT OF RHABDIAS (NEMATODA: RHABDIASIDAE) IN HYPSIBOAS
RANICEPS, CERRADO, BRAZIL
PRIMER REGISTRO DE RHABDIAS (NEMATODA: RHABDIASIDAE) EN
HYPSIBOAS RANICEPS, CERRADO, BRASIL
¹ Post-Graduate Program in Biological-Zoological Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista ''Júlio de
Mesquita Filho''- UNESP. Ecology and Parasitism Laboratory, Department of Biology and Zoology.
Passeio Monção, 226. CEP 15385000. Ilha Solteira – SP, Brasil.
*Corresponding author: francielexingu@gmail.com
Neotropical Helminthology, 2016, 10(2), jul-dic: 295-300.
ABSTRACT
Keywords: Cerrado – Hypsiboas raniceps – Rhabdias – South America
A new record of Rhabdias parasitizing Hypsiboas raniceps Stiles & Hassal 1905 in a Cerrado
area is presented in this work. The genus is commonly found parasitizing the lungs of amphibians
and reptiles worldwide. Seven H. raniceps specimens were analyzed, where two were parasitized
with nematodes of the genus Rhabdias in the lungs. A total of six nematodes were found, and
identified based on their structural morphologies, and on their measurements. This note presents
the first record of Rhabdias in H. raniceps given that the species is a new Rhabdias host.
295
ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043
Franciele Cristina de Souza¹*, Ottilie Carolina Forster¹, Murilo de Souza Queiroz¹ & Luciano Alves dos Anjos¹.
RESUMO
Palavras chaves: America do sul - Cerrado - Hypsiboas raniceps - Rhabdias
Um novo registro de Rhabdias parasitando Hypsiboas raniceps Stiles & Hassal 1905 em uma
área de Cerrado é apresentado neste trabalho. O gênero é comumente encontrado parasitando
pulmões de anfíbios e reptéis no mundo todo. Foram analisados sete espécimes de H. raniceps,
onde dois estavam parasitados com nematódeos do gênero Rhabdias nos pulmões. Um total de
seis nematódeos foram encontrados, e identificados com base na morfologia das estruturas, e nas
medidas realizadas nos espécimes. Esta nota apresenta o primeiro registro de Rhabdias em H.
raniceps, sendo assim a espécie um novo hospedeiro de Rhabdias.
296
Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 10, Nº2, jul-dic 2016
2003). The specie is considered stable in the
endangered animals list extinction of UCN,
sometimes found in the international pet trade
but at levels that do not currently constitute a
major threat (La Marca 2004), It occurs et al.,
in the central and northeastern regions of
Brazil, with also inhabiting the H. raniceps
Brazilian Amazon Basin, southern Colombia,
north of French Guyana, Bolivia, Paraguay
and northeast Argentina (Frost, 2009). The aim
of the analysis is to report of Rhabdias
(Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) in H. raniceps,
Cerrado, Brasil.
D u r i n g a f i e l d w o r k i n s e a r c h o f
Helminthological studies, 7 individual
Hypsiboas raniceps were collected, in
December 2015 in a marsh area in the field of
Teach ing, Res earch an d Ex tens ion -
FEPE/UNESP -Univer sidade Estadual
Paulista ''Júlio de Mesquita Filho located in the
city of Selvíria, in the state of Mato Grosso do
Sul, under the SISBio 36667-2 license, the
06/2014/CEUA Ethics Committee Protocol
and Animal Use. For specimen capture, a
visual search method (VS) was carried out in
the species habitat during the species activity
period. Next, the amphibians were acclimated
in 2 liter plastic bags and transported alive to
the Ecology and Parasitism Laboratory, of the
Ilha Solteira Campus – UNESP. The specimen
was sacrificed by a lethal dose of anesthetic
Benzocaine (according to Resolution No.
714/2002), weighed, measured and necropsied
and their lungs removed for examination under
the stereomicroscope.
The nematodes found were collected with thin
brushes and stylets, and transferred to a Petri
dish with saline solution of 0.65%, to carry out
individual cleaning. Once clean, they were
fixed in 70% alcohol heated to approximately
65-70 ºC, for muscle stretch. Slides were
The Stiles & Hassal 1905, is a Rhabdias
worldwide widely distributed genus, whose
hosts include several species of amphibians
and reptiles (Baker, 1987; Bursey , 2003;et al.
González & Hamann, 2006). They are typical
lung parasites, considered specific and rarely
parasitize more than one host (Tkach et al.,
2006). Until now 100 nematode species of the
Rhabdias genus have been registered
worldwide (Kuzmin & Tkach, 2014), in the
neotropical region, 15 species parasitize
amphibians: Kuzmin , 2007, R. alabialis et al.
R. androgyna R. breviensis Kloss, 1971,
Nascimento , 2013, Gutiérrez, et al. R. elegans
1945, Travassos, 1926, R. fuelleborni R.
hermafrodita R. kuzmini Kloss, 1971,
Martínez-Salazar & León-Règagnon, 2007, R.
manantlanensis R. mu-Martínez-Salazar, 2008,
cronata R. Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1952,
paraensis et al. R. peninsularis Santos , 2011,
M a r t í n e z - S a l a z a r . , 2 0 1 3 , e t a l R .
pseudosphaerocephala et al.Kuzmin , 2007,
R. savagei R. Bursey & Goldberg, 2005,
tobagoensis R. Moravec & Kaiser, 1995, and
truncata Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1952
( Tra v a s s o s , 19 2 6; G u t i e r r e z, 1 9 4 5 ;
Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1952; Kloss, 1971;
Moravec & Kaiser, 1995; Bursey & Goldberg,
2005; Kuzmin , 2007; Martínez-Salazar et al.
& León-Règagnon, 2007; Martínez-Salazar,
2008; Santos ., 2011; Martínez-Salazar et al et
al et al. et., 2013; Nascimento , 2013; Kuzmin
al., 2015).
Kuzmin et al. (2016) has just described two
new Rhabdias species: Rhabdias galactonoti
and R h a b d i a s st e n o c e p h a l a , fo u n d
parasitizing the lung of Leptodactylus pen-
tadactylus and L. paraensis in the state of Pará,
Brazil.
Hypsiboas raniceps Cope, 1862 is a
Neotropical Hylidae commonly found in
Cerrado and in Caatinga (Guimarães & Bastos,
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Souza et al.
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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 10, Nº1, ene-jun 2016
The analyzed amphibians presented a mean
width of 7.84±0,60 cm and mean weight of
1 0 .2 4 ± 1 ,9 7 . Of t h e se v e n a n a l y ze d
individuals, only two were parasitized with
Rhabdias sp. totaling six nematode adults. The
parasitism in H. raniceps, presented a
prevalence of 28.57%, mean abundance of
0.85, mean intensity of 3 (according to Bush et
a l . , 1 9 9 7 , Se r r a - F r e ir e , 200 2 ). T he
measurements were carried out based on all the
specimen found. Based on the specimen
structural morphologies analyzed, these were
identified as belonging to the Rhabdiasidae
family, of the Rhabdias genus.
Description of the Stiles & Hassal, Rhabdias
1905 genus (Fig. 1).
mounted using Lactophenol of Amann
enabling the visualization of parts of
taxonomic importance of the group necessary
for identification. Then, the specimen was
transferred to vials containing 70% alcohol,
where they remained preserved (Amato et al.,
1 9 9 1 ) . L a t e r , L E I C A D M 2 5 0 0
photomicrographic microscopes from the
Ecology and Parasitism Laboratory – LECOP,
UNESP, of the Ilha Solteira Campus, were
used. All the helminths found will be deposited
in the Helminthological Collection of the
Institute of Biosciences (CHIBB), of the State
Universidade Estadual Paulista ''Júlio de
Mesquita Filho'' – UNESP, Botucatu campus.
In the analysis carried out, all the helminths
found in other organs, are part of a study to be
published later.
RESULTS
Figure 1. A-C: A- portion anterior, B- portion posterior and tail C- eggs.
Rhabdias in Hypsiboas raniceps
298
individuals, which are completely terrestrial
animals, while H. raniceps is an arboreal
animal (Hamann et al., 2006). Therefore, field
observations are necessary to understand the
mode of infection of these parasites in the
lungs. During the literature review, no
information about Rhabdias sp. in H. raniceps
was found in South America. This implies that
this amphibian is a new Rhabdias host,
therefore reinforcing the importance and need
of studies related to the hosts and their
parasites.
We thank the Ecology and Parasitism
Lab orato ry t eam – UN ESP fo r their
contribution to this field work.
Parasitic generation with much larger life-free
specimens; mouths surrounded by six very
small lips, sometimes with lateral wings which
are wider anteriorly and posteriorly. Small
cup-shaped oral capsule; small, cylindrical
esophagus, ending in a later dilation; conical
tail; vulva near the middle of the body; didelfa,
anfidelfa, oviporous; thin-shell eggs
containing a morula or underdeveloped larva.
Family: Rhabdiasidae Railliet, 1915
Genus: Rhabdias Stiles & Hassall 1905
Host: Hypsiboas raniceps (Cope, 1862)
Site infection: Pulmão
Locality: Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul,
Brasil
Description (based on 6 specimen): Body size
11,099-4,567; body width 0,565-0,443; length
of esophagus 0,582-0,546; width of esophagus
0,067-0,051; nervous ring at anterior far-end
0,173-0,149; egg length 0,111-0,103; egg
width 0,060-0,054; posterior far-end anus
0,471-0,207.
Data about H. raniceps helminth are scarce,
and the following parasitic species are
recorded in literature as follows: Aplectana
hylambatis Gonzales & Hamann, 2006,
Cosmocerca parva Gonzales & Hamann 2011,
Oswaldocruzia proencai Lent et al., 1946;
Masi & M aciel, 197 4, Glypthe lmins
vitelliniphilum Travassos et al, 1969, and G.
vitellinophilum Travassos et al, 1969 and
Ophiotaenia sp. La Rue, 1911 in Paraguay (La
Rue, 1911; Lent et al., 1946; Lent & Freitas,
1948; Dobbin, 1958; Travassos et al, 1969;
Masi & Maciel, 1974; Chambrier et al, 2006;
Gonzales & Hamann, 2006, 2011).
Queiroz (2015) found in the same place,
Rhab dias para sitizi ng L e ptoda ctylu s
chaquensis, L. mystacinus and L. podicipinus
DISCUSSION
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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 10, Nº2, jul-dic 2016 Souza et al.
