Hymenolepis folkertsi n. sp. (Eucestoda: Hymenolepididae) in the oldfield mouse Peromyscus polionotus (Wagner) (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Neotominae) from the southeastern Nearctic with comments on tapeworm faunal diversity among deer mice

Abstract

A previously unrecognized species of hymenolepidid cestode attributable to Hymenolepis is described based on specimens in Peromyscus polionotus, oldfield mouse, from Georgia near the southeastern coast of continental North America. Specimens of Hymenolepis folkertsi n. sp. differ from those attributed to most other species in the genus by having testes arranged in a triangle and a scolex with a prominent rostrum-like protrusion. The newly recognized species is further distinguished by the relative position and length of the cirrus sac, shape of seminal receptacle, and relative size of external seminal vesicle and seminal receptacle. Hymenolepidid cestodes have sporadically been reported among the highly diverse assemblage of Peromyscus which includes 56 distinct species in the Nearctic. Although the host genus has a great temporal duration and is endemic to the Nearctic, current evidence suggests that tapeworm faunal diversity reflects relatively recent assembly through bouts of host switching among other cricetid, murid, and geomyid rodents in sympatry.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the cloacal tapeworm Cloacotaenia megalops (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae)

“…In this study, the phylogenetic tree revealed that C. megalops is distantly related to the genus Hymenolepis , supporting the view of Makarikov et al [13] who preferred to retain the independent status of Cloacotaenia based on the morphological characteristics. The present results also suggest that Pseudanoplocephala crawfordi is a member of the genus Hymenolepis as shown in previous studies [10, 27].…”

“…Czaplinski & Vaucher [12] considered Cloacotaenia a synonym of Hymenolepis but Makarikov et al [13] have recently restored the independent status of the genus Cloacotaenia based on remarkable morphological differences between C. megalops and Hymenolepis ( sensu stricto ). To tackle these issues, in the present study, the complete mt genome of C. megalops was determined and its phylogenetic relationships with selected cestode species were inferred based on analysis of the concatenated mt amino acid sequences.…”

Insights on the host associations and geographic distribution of Hymenolepis folkertsi (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) among rodents across temperate latitudes of North America

“…An increasingly comprehensive understanding of diversity among rodent helminth faunas remains confounded by poor availability of voucher specimens linked to a diverse series of surveys over the past century (Makarikov et al 2015). For example, considering the species-rich genus Peromyscus Gloger, (Cricetidae, Neotominae), representative series of voucher specimens of hymenolepidid cestodes and other helminths were only sporadically deposited following many local to regional surveys across North America (e.g., Erickson 1938; Hansen 1950; Grundmann and Frandsen 1960; Babero and Matthias 1967; Vaughn 2013).…”

“…Further, many studies provided only incomplete identification to the generic level, leaving substantial gaps in our documentation of the fauna. Consequently, new field collections that provide access to comparative materials for integrated morphological/molecular analyses are essential to enhance our ability to more completely document parasite faunal diversity among Nearctic rodents (e.g., Haukisalmi et al 2010; Hoberg et al 2012; Gardner et al 2014; Makarikov et al 2012, 2013, 2015). Archival deposition of georeferenced specimens from inventory remains a basic foundation for characterization of faunal structure (e.g., Hoberg et al 2009) and is increasingly necessary given the expanding recognition of cryptic diversity across many groups of parasites and hosts (Pérez-Ponce de León and Nadler 2010).…”

“…Comparative morphology provided a capacity to unequivocally distinguish H. folkertsi from a limited number of species, with testes disposed in a triangle and an unarmed scolex with a protrusible rostrum-like apparatus, currently known in the North American fauna (Makarikov et al 2015); e.g., Hymenolepis pitymi Yarinsky 1952 in Microtus pinetorum (LeConte) (Cricetidae, Arvicolinae) from Tennessee, and Hymenolepis tualatinensis Gardner 1985 in Thomomys bulbivorus (Richardson) (Geomyidae) from western Oregon (Yarinsky 1952; Gardner 1985). Although clearly differentiated from seven congeneric species in the Nearctic, including Hymenolepis diminuta (Rudolphi, 1819), with respect to a suite of structural attributes, the type specimens for H. folkertsi were originally fixed in 5 % formalin (Makarikov et al 2015). Consequently, these specimens were not appropriate for comparisons of molecular sequence data among other species of Hymenolepis which could reflect, through integrated approaches, on species identity, higher level relationships, and biogeography (e.g., Haukisalmi et al 2010).…”