New data on Neodiplostomum americanum Chandler and Rausch, 1947 (Digenea: Diplostomidae), in the Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Gmelin, 1788 and the Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio Linnaeus, 1758 in Mississippi, USA

Abstract

Neodiplostomum americanum Chandler and Rausch, 1947 has been reported from six species of owls in North America. At present, there are no molecular data for this species and gene sequence data from Neodiplostomum Railliet, 1919 are limited. A freshly deceased specimen of the Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Gmelin, 1788 and a freshly deceased specimen of the Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio Linnaeus, 1758 were collected in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Neodiplostomum americanum were recovered from both hosts. Herein, updated morphological descriptions are supplemented with gene sequence data from conserved (18S, ITS1-5.8S, ITS2, and 28S rRNA) and fast-evolving (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mtDNA) regions. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the genus based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene sequence data supports the placement of N. americanum within a discrete phylogroup of the family Diplostomidae. The life history of N. americanum is unknown and currently limited to the description of the adult stage in avian hosts. The molecular data generated in this study offer insight into the phylogenetic placement of N. americanum within the Diplostomatidae and will aid in identifying different life stages in putative intermediate hosts.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Neodiplostomum and Fibricola (Digenea, Diplostomidae) does not support host-based systematics

“…Furthermore, our specimens and the material of Woodyard et al . (2017) conform to the original morphological description of N. americanum by Chandler and Rausch (1947). Our morphological examination of voucher specimens of adult N. americanum sequenced by Blasco-Costa and Locke (2017) revealed that the taxon was misidentified.…”

“…Our specimens of N. americanum are conspecific with specimens previously published by Woodyard et al . (2017) based on partial sequences of 28S, the ITS region and cox 1. Furthermore, our specimens and the material of Woodyard et al .…”

“…For a subset of taxa collected in Mississippi and Arkansas (USA), the molecular methods described by Woodyard et al . (2017) were used.…”

“…Currently, DNA sequences are available for six species of Neodiplostomum (Woodyard et al ., 2017; Heneberg et al ., 2020; Lee et al ., unpublished results), but DNA sequence data from morphologically identified adult Fibricola specimens are lacking. Herein, we provide partial sequences of the nuclear small ribosomal subunit (18S), internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2) and large ribosomal subunit (28S) rRNA genes as well as a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 ( cox 1) mtDNA gene for Fibricola cratera (Barker and Noll, 1915) and Fibricola lucidum (La Rue and Bosma, 1927) from mammals as well as five nominal species of Neodiplostomum and an unidentified Neodiplostomum species from a bird.…”

Gastrointestinal and external parasitism in the Magellanic Horned Owl Bubo magellanicus (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in Chile

“…Species of the genus Neodiplostomum Railliet, 1919 infects both mammals and birds (HONG & SHOOP, 1994). Nevertheless, some parasite species within the genus appear to be specific to a certain group of hosts; for instance, Richardson & Kinsella (2010) ; WOODYARD et al, 2017), N. reflexum (CHANDLER & RAUSCH, 1947;GALLAS & SILVEIRA, 2013), and N. delicatum (KINSELLA et al, 2001). The poor condition of these two collected specimens makes species identification impossible.…”