The life-cycle and seasonal abundance ofEchinoparyphium montgomeriana n.sp. (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) in Natal, South Africa

The diverse echinostomes from East Africa: With a focus on species that use Biomphalaria and Bulinus as intermediate hosts

“…The larvae also possessed a structure we termed the spine pocket containing approximately 20 spines that was located mid-ventrally just posterior to the oral sucker. Other descriptions called this unit a “brush of needles” ( Appleton et al, 1983 ) or a “rosette of spines” ( Ostrowski-de Núñez et al, 1997 ). These cercariae were also noteworthy for possessing diverticuli (greater than 16/side) along the length of their major excretory canals and for possessing numerous calcareous corpuscles (90–100 granules/side) in each major excretory canal ( Fig.…”

“…3 A2), fewer diverticuli (less than 16/side) along each major excretory canal, and less than 60 calcareous corpuscles within each excretory canal. Appleton et al (1983) established the life cycle of Echinoparyphium montgomeriana from South Africa. He found this species to be transmitted by Bulinus africanus and reported it to have 48–54 collar spines and a brush of spines posterior to the oral sucker and was placed in the genus Echinoparyphium , which does not correspond to that genus as defined recently by Tkach et al (2016) .…”

“…The specimen was preserved in ethanol and not maintained in adequate shape to determine the number of collar spines or other morphological features; however, it grouped within sampled identified as Echinoparyphium from GenBank samples. There were multiple species descriptions in the literature of Echinoparyphium from Bulinus from Africa; however, some of the descriptions matched more closely species in Patagifer than in Echinoparyphium ( Appleton et al, 1983 ). Two species, E. elegans and E. ralphaudyi were known to be transmitted by Bulinus from Africa but there are no samples represented in GenBank and no adult specimens are available for genetic study.…”

“…However, very little is known about African echinostomes with respect to biogeography, phylogenetic placement (especially using molecular markers), and host use. The majority of echinostome descriptions from Africa are of adults that use birds as a definitive host ( Dietz, 1909 ; Odhner, 1910 ; Faust, 1921 ; Hilmy, 1949 ; Dollfus, 1950 ; Bisseru, 1957 ; Appleton et al, 1983 ; King and As, 2000). Even meticulous species descriptions of adult morphology alone can lead to confusion in their systematics.…”

The biology of Echinoparyphium (Trematoda, Echinostomatidae)

“…Its larval stages are common parasites of freshwater snails belonging to the family Planorbidae including Bulinus africanus. These intra-molluscan stages are shown to have a seasonal transmission cycle (Appleton et al 1983).…”