A New Species of Aspidodera (Nematoda: Heterakoidea) Parasitizing the Giant Anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Pilosa: Myrmecophagidae) in Brazil and New Key to Species

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The relatively recent surge in Aspidodera species descriptions suggests that several species are yet to be documented and properly described. We describe Aspidodera serrata n. sp. from the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla from the Cerrado biome (Savanna), Brazil. The new species is distinctive in the genus because of the attributes of the cephalic cordons, position of pore-like papillae and a thickening of body cuticle. Because no male specimens were recovered from the host, morphological characteristics that are identical in both sexes and specific for the genus were fundamental during the identification. We emphasize the relevance of hood features and scanning electron microscopy to base descriptions in Aspidodera. We provide a new key for the genus to assist in the efforts to identify the species present in multiple infections. This is the first report of a coinfection with 3 congeners in the same individual host involving Aspidodera. We urge researchers to preserve and document the metazoan parasites from tetrapod species considered vulnerable, because they can be valuable sources of information on the distribution of parasites in the wild.