Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda

Monogenea (Platyhelminthes) parasites from the gills of Hoplias aff. malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) (Pisces: Erythrinidae) in the Upper Paraná River Floodplain, states of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

In this paper, nine species of Monogenea were recorded parasitizing the gills of Hoplias aff. malabaricus from the Upper Parana River. The host were collected by gillnets in different regions to the Upper Parana River Floodplain between March 2010 and March 2011. The parasites were quantified, fixed and preserved according with specialized literature. All hosts analyzed were parasitized by monogeneans. The monogeneans species were recorded Urocleidoides malabaricusi , U. cuiabai , U. eremitus , U. brasiliensis , Cosmetocleithrum bulbocirrus , Vancleaveus janauacaensis , Anacanthorus sp., Dactylogyridae gen. sp. and Dactylogyridae gen. 1. sp.

Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Brazil has the richest anuran biodiversity in the world and many species have not yet been studied for parasites. One hundred and forty frogs belonging to 18 species (Rhinella schneideri, Dendropsophus aff. minutus, Dendropsophus nanus, Hypsiboas albopunctatus, Hypsiboas punctatus, Hypsiboas raniceps, Phyllomedusa tetraploidea, Pseudis platensis, Scinax fuscovarius, Trachycephalus typhonius, Leptodactylus chaquensis, Leptodactylus fuscus, Leptodactylus aff. latrans, Leptodactylus mystacinus, Leptodactylus podicipinus, Physalaemus cuvieri, Physalaemus nattereri and Elachistocleis bicolor) collected in aquatic habitats in forest remnants and surrounding agricultural landscapes in southern Brazil were examined for endoparasites. Twenty-four species of endoparasites were identified among 21 adult and three larval individuals: one species of Monogenea, Polystoma lopezromani; eight species of Digenea, Catadiscus marinholutzi, Catadiscus propinquus, Choledocystus simulans, Gordoderina sp., Neohaematoloechus neivai, Rauschiella lenti, Rauschiella linguatula, Rauschiella repandum; one species of Cestoda, Ophiotaenia sp.; one species of Acanthocephala, Centrorhyncus sp.; 12 species of Nematoda, Aplectana sp., Aplectana travassosi, Cosmocerca podicipinus, Raillietnema sp., Schrankiana formolusa, Falcaustra mascula, Oxyascaris oxyascaris, Ochoterenella digiticauda, Physaloptera sp., Brevimulticecum sp., Rhabdias sp., Parapharyngodon hylidae; and one species of Annelida, Dero (Allodero) lutzi. The endoparasite fauna found is constituted by generalist species. Two new records of occurrence in Brazil and 33 new host records are reported.

Parasitism by larval tapeworms genus Spirometra in South American amphibians and reptiles: new records from Brazil and Uruguay, and a review of current knowledge in the region.

Spargana are plerocercoid larvae of cestode tapeworms of the genus Spirometra, Family Diphyllobothriidae, parasitic to frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. This parasitic disease in humans can be transmitted through the use and consumption of amphibians and reptiles. The available knowledge about Spirometra in South America is scarce, and there are only a few reports on the occurrence of sparganum in amphibians and reptiles, many of them published in old papers not easily available to researchers. In this work we present a review on this topic, provide new records in two species of amphibians and 7 species of reptiles from Brazil and Uruguay respectively. We also summarize current knowledge of Spirometra in the continent, along with an updated of host taxonomy. We could gather from the literature a total of 15 studies about amphibian and reptile hosts, published between 1850 and 2016, corresponding to 43 case reports, mostly from Brazil (29) and Uruguay (8), Argentina (3), Peru (2), and Venezuela (1); the majority of them related to reptiles (five lizards and 26 snake species), and 14 corresponded to amphibians (9 anurans). Plerocercoid larvae were located in different organs of the hosts, such as subcutaneous tissue, coelomic cavity, peritoneum, and musculature. The importance of amphibians and reptiles in the transmission of the disease to humans in South America is discussed. Relevant issues to be studied in the near future are the taxonomic characterization of Spirometra in the region and the biological risk of reptile meat for aboriginal and other rural communities.

The Poorly Known Riggia acuticaudata (Crustacea: Isopoda) Parasitizing Ancistrus sp. (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Paraguay River Basin, Brazil, with Comments on its Reproductive Biology

ABSTRACT: Here we provide a new record of Riggia acuticaudata parasitizing the armored catfish, Ancistrus sp., from the Paraguay River basin, Brazil. On May and July 2010, 27/47 (57.4%) specimens of Ancistrus sp. collected in 2 streams at Corguinho municipality in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, were found to be parasitized by R. acuticaudata. This is the second time R. acuticaudata has been reported parasitizing Ancistrus sp. from the Paraguay River basin. In addition, it represents an important record for the known distribution of this isopod species, which was previously known only from the type locality. We also provide information on the reproductive biology of this isopod species.

Amblyomma tick species infesting amphibians and reptiles in the seasonally dry Amazon forest, with new host records for Amblyomma rotundatum (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae)

Abstract Our study yielded a list of ticks found on amphibians and reptiles at five sites within seasonally dry Amazon forest in Mato Grosso State, central Brazil, in addition to new host records for A. rotundatum. We collected 431 tick specimens: 79 larvae, 115 nymphs, 38 females, and 199 males belonging to A. humerale, A. rotundatum, and Amblyomma sp., on 39 anurans and 21 reptiles. The toads R. guttatus and R. margaritifera and the frog L. pentadactylus are new hosts for A. rotundatum.

Variation of the advertisement call of Physalaemus centralis Bokermann, 1962 (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in the Cerrado of central Brazil

ABSTRACT Acoustic signals are employed to support the correct designation of species and enables the discrimination between individuals. We analyzed both intra and interindividual variability of the advertisement call of Physalaemus centralis on the basis of specimens recorded in eight localities of the Cerrado in central Brazil. Within-individual variation, most of the call parameters were static properties. Both spectral and temporal call properties were dynamic between individuals. All call proprieties varied more between individuals than within an individual. Our study adds important data for future studies on the taxonomy and phylogeny of the P. cuvieri clade.

Host-Parasite Networks: An Integrative Overview with Tropical Examples

The lack of ecological studies on parasite species is contradictory with their high diversity. In this context, the ecological network approach has drawn attention to patterns of tropical host-parasite interactions; however, it is still very restricted to a few taxonomic groups. In tropical regions, studies on host-parasite networks have encompassed specially fish, amphibian hosts, and malaria parasite communities of birds. High specificity is peculiar to parasites, either considering the host species or the site of infection. Variations in specificity indicate differentiated structural patterns between ecto- and endoparasites networks, as well as larval and adult stages of parasites, influencing the values of connectivity, nestedness, and modularity. Host characteristics also influence the structure of networks, including phylogenetic relationships and diet. Similarly to free-living species in ecosystems suffering the influences of environmental change, parasite species may also be extinct due to primary extinctions of hosts or possibly present new patterns of interaction due to the arrival of invasive species in the environment. New studies should explore network patterns between tropic and non-tropic environments, in addition to the use of molecular tools to identify especially cryptic parasites, which may provide better-supported results.

Influence of vegetation heterogeneity and landscape characteristics on anuran species composition in aquatic habitats along an urban-rural gradient in southeastern Brazil

AbstractAmphibians are exposed to a number of negative factors in urban areas and the influence of a specific variable can vary among different ecological systems. This study provides information o...

Filling gaps on the distribution of Rhinoclemmys punctularia (Daudin, 1801) (Testudines: Geoemydidae) in the state of Maranhão, Brazil

We present a new record of the spot-legged turtle ( Rhinoclemmys punctularia ) for the state of Maranhao, Brazil. This record fills a gap of 600 km between the easternmost record of the species (municipality of Timon, state of Maranhao) and Ananas (state of Tocantins). In addition, the present study reports the occurrence of R. punctularia in a physiognomy of Cerrado.