Tongue worm (Pentastomida) parasites of North America herpetofauna: Checklist of species, identification key, and new state and host records from Mexico

Manuel de Luna, Roberto García-Barrios, Diane P. Barton, Gerardo Guajardo-Martínez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An updated checklist of tongue worms (Pentastomida) which parasitize wild North American amphibians and reptiles is presented: a total of 14 species grouped in 6 genera, 4 families, and 2 orders are registered; these infect a total of 58 species of reptiles and 3 amphibians in the region. An illustrated identification key for the taxa listed is proposed. Kiricephalus coarctatus (Diesing, 1860) (Porocephalidae) is recorded for the first time in the snakes Arizona elegans Kennicott, 1859 (Colubridae); Micrurus tener Baird and Girard, 1853 (Elapidae); and Bothrops asper (Garman, 1884) (Viperidae); the exotic Raillietiella taegueselfi Riley, McAllister, and Freed, 1988 (Raillietiellidae) is recorded in the exotic lizard Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril and Bibron, 1836 (Gekkonidae) for the first time, and in Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gekkonidae) for the first time in Mexico, this is also the first time it is recorded in a species of lizard native of the Americas, Sceloporus cyanogenys Cope, 1885 (Phrynosomatidae), this latter record represents a parasite spillover event; finally, Porocephalus stilesi Sambon, 1910 (Porocephalidae) is formally recorded for the first time in Mexico in the snake Bothrops asper.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)582-594
Number of pages13
JournalThe Journal of parasitology
Volume108
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 05 Dec 2022

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