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Parasites of the relict fauna of Ceylon

1988; EDP Sciences; Volume: 63; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1051/parasite/1988636439

2772-4042

H. Crusz, D. M. A. K. Daundasekera,

Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

A trematode and nematodes are reported for the first time from endemic burrowing scincines of Sri Lanka, namely the cosmopolitan trematode Mesocoelium monas (Rudolphi, 1819) from the small intestine of Nessia burtoni ; and the nematodes Kalicephalus brachycephalus Maplestone, 1931 from the stomach of Nessia smithi ; and Meteterakis sinharajensis Crusz and Ching, 1976 and Parapharyngodon adamsoni sp. nov., both from the large and small intestines and rectum of Chalcidoseps thwaitesi, N. burtoni, N. didactyla and N. smithi. The new species is distinguished from other species of the genus mostly by the relatively small size ; very short and characteristically shaped male caudal appendage, which is generally about half the length of the spicule ; and the very close, almost fused, ventral arrangement of the pair of papillae on it, which is the last of four pairs of male caudal papillae. There is also more evidence of burrowing herpeto-fauna having parasites similar to those, but much reduced in number and variety, of sympatric non-burrowing forms, from which it was derived.