RESUMEN

Palabras claves: Amazonia – Coendou bicolor – Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus – Nematoda – Perú.

Se presentan los resultados de un examen helmintológico realizado en un especímen de

puercoespín Coendou bicolor (Tschudi, 1844), del departamento de San Martín, Perú. El

helminto endoparásito encontrado fue Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus (Linstow, 1899)

Travassos, 1917. La distribución geográfica de Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus fue

ampliada de su lugar de origen (Brasil) al territorio peruano. Además, C. bicolor es un nuevo

huésped para H. sedecimradiatus.

RESEARCH NOTE/NOTA CIENTÍFICA

FIRST RECORD OF HELIGMOSTRONGYLUS SEDECIMRADIATUS LINSTOW, 1899

(RHABDITIDA: HELIGMONELLIDAE), IN BICOLOR-SPINED PORCUPINE

COENDOU BICOLOR (TSCHUDI, 1844) (RODENTIA: ERETHIZONTIDAE) IN PERU

PRIMER REGISTRO DE HELIGMOSTRONGYLUS SEDECIMRADIATUS LINSTOW,

1899 (RHABDITIDA: HELIGMONELLIDAE), EN PUERCOESPÍN COENDOU

BICOLOR (TSCHUDI, 1844) (RODENTIA: ERETHIZONTIDAE) EN PERÚ

1,2 1,2 3 2,4

Celso Cruces ; Jhon Chero ; Carlos Mendoza-Vidaurre ;José Iannacone ;

1 2 5

Gloria Sáez ; Lorena Alvariño & Reinaldo José da Silva

1Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Math (FCNNM), Federico Villarreal National University

(UNFV). El Agustino, Lima, Peru.

2Laboratorio de Ecology and Animal Biodiversity (LEBA), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Math (FCNNM), Federico

Villarreal National University (UNFV, El Agustino, Lima, Peru.

3Laboratory of Clinical Analysis Moraleslab SAC, Morales, San Martín, Peru.

4Laboratory of Invertebrates. Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ricardo Palma University (URP), Santiago de Surco, Lima,

Peru.

5UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Parasitologia, Botucatu, SP,

Brazil.

Neotropical Helminthology, 2015, 9(2), jul-dec: 367-370.

ABSTRACT

Keywords: Amazon - Coendou bicolor - Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus - Nematoda - Peru.

The results of a helminthological examination performed on one specimen of bicolor-spined

porcupine Coendou bicolor (Tschudi) from department of San Martin, Peru were reported. The

endoparasite helminth found was Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus (Linstow, 1899)

Travassos, 1917. The geographic distribution of Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus is extended

from the original locality (Brazil) to Peruvian territory. Also, C. bicolor is a new host for H.

sedecimradiatus.

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ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043

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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 9, Nº2, jul-dec 2015

INTRODUCTION

Coendou bicolor (Tschudi, 1844) is a rodent

species of the family Erethizontidae that is

distributed across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,

Colombia and Peru (Voss & Silva, 2001; Voss,

2011; Freitas et al., 2013; Voss et al., 2013).

This species is listed as a least concern by

International Union for Conservation of

Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN Red

List) (Dunnum & Delgado, 2008), although, its

current population trend in the wild is

decreasing (Hurtado & Pacheco, 2015). In

Peru, information in relation to the parasitic

fauna of C. bicolor is lacking.

In this paper, we present the first record of a

Heligmonellidae species Heligmostrongylus

sedecimradiatus (Linstow, 1899) Travassos,

1917 in bicolor-spined porcupine from Peru.

In May 2015, a specimen of C. bicolor was

found dead in the forest of Tarapoto, San

Martin, Peru. The specimens were collected

and taken to the Laboratory of Clinical

Analysis Moraleslab for the necropsy. The host

was identified according to Voss (2011). The

scientific and valid name of the host follows to

Patton et al. (2015). Nematodes were collected

from the gastrointestinal tract, placed in petri

dishes with saline, fixed in hot formaldehyde

(4%) and preserved in ethanol (70%). For

morphological study, the nematodes were

clarified in a mixture alcohol-phenol. The

nematode adults were analyzed and measured

using the computerized system for image

analysis Qwin Lite 3.1 (Leica). Measurements

were made in millimeters (mm). The

taxonomic determination of the parasites was

in accordance with the diagnosis proposed by

Travassos (1921) and Vicente et al. (1997).

Voucher specimens of H. sedecimradiatus

were deposited in the Coleção Helmintológica

do Instituto de Biociências (CHIBB 7808),

UNESP, municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo

State, Brazil; in Helminthological Collection

and Related Invertebrates of the Museum of

Natural History at the San Marcos University

(MUSM 3257), Peru and in Scientific

Collection of Protozoa and Metazoan Parasites

of the Federico Villarreal University (CPMP

162), Peru.

Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus has a

filiform body, not spiral. Cuticle with fine

transverse striations and well-marked

longitudinal striations. Dorsal is elongated,

extending almost to the posterior end. Males

with long and delicate spicules, and

gubernaculum complex. Females with long

cauda in younger and obtuse in the older

specimens.

The following measurements were made on

the specimens of H. sedecimradiatus (Figs. 1A

– D), collected of small intestine from C.

bicolor:

Female (based on five specimens measured).

Body 8.88 – 17.64 (11.66) mm long, with a

maximum width of 0.15 – 0.21 (0.18) mm.

Cuticular cephalic dilatation 0.07 – 0.09 (0.08)

mm. Esophagus 0.52 – 0.90 (0.66) mm long.

Distance of the vulva to the posterior end 0.31

– 0.75 (0.51) mm. Distance of the anus to the

posterior end 0.30 – 0.52 (0.41) mm. Eggs

0.079 x 0.037 mm (Fig. 1D).

Male (based on five specimens measured)

(Figs. 1A,B,C). Body 5.62 – 7.90 (7.14) mm

long, 0.15 – 0.17 (0.16) mm of maximum

width. Cuticular cephalic dilatation 0.06 – 0.08

(0.07) mm. Oesophagus 0.45 – 0.63 (0.52).

Spicules 0.50 – 0.57 (0.53) mm. Copulatory

bursa symmetrical with dorsal radio with small

external branches (Figura 1).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS

Cruces et al.

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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 9, Nº1, jan-jun 2015 Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus in Coendou bicolor

Figure 1. Heligmostrongylus sedecimradiatus in Coendou bicolor from Peru. A. Anterior extremity of male. B. Posterior

extremity of male. C. Copulatory bursa symmetrical with dorsal radio with small external branches (arrows). D. Eggs. OES =

Oesophagus. LA = lateral alae. SP = spicules. CB = Copulatoy bursa. EG = Egg.

In Peru, there is only one report on the

occurrence of Heligmostrongylus spp.

infecting mammals. Sarmiento et al. (1999)

found Heligmostrongylus sp. in small intestine

of Steere's spiny rat, Proechimys steerei

Goldman, 1911 (Echimyidae). According to

Vicente et al. (1997), Thi et al. (2012) and

Costa et al. (2013), H. sedecimradiatus is

already found parasitizing five hosts, as

follow: Bahia Hairy Dwarf Porcupine,

C o e n d o u i n s i d i o s u s ( Ol f er 1 81 8 )

(Erethizontidae), agouti, Dasyprocta aguti

Linnaeus, 1766 (Dasyproctidae), brown rat

Rattus norvegicus (Muridae), red-rumped

agouti Dasyprocta leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)

(Dasyproctidae) and spotted paca, Cuniculus

paca (Cuniculidae) in Brazil, Colombia and

Vietnam (Patton et al., 2015).

Measurements of male and female specimens

of H. sedecimradiatus registered by Travassos

(1921) are similar to current specimens. Only

male length is smaller in comparison to the

material of Travassos (1921).

The occurrence of H. sedecimradiatus

parasitizing C. bicolor is the first report of this

nematode in Peruvian territory, as well as a

new host for this nematode parasite.

DISCUSSION

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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 9, Nº2, jul-dec 2015

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Received October 31, 2015.

Accepted November 25, 2015.