Cosmocerca goroensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) from South Africa and its phylogenetic relationships with other cosmocercids based on partial 28S sequences.

Nematodes of the genus Cosmocerca are commonly found in various amphibians in South Africa and in most cases are identified as C. ornata. However, after detailed morphological studies and molecular approaches, three new species of the genus were recently described from three different frogs in South Africa. In present study, we describe another new species - Cosmocerca goroensis parasitising the Northern Pygmy Toad Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti in Soutpansberg mountains, Limpopo province, South Africa. The new species is characterised by prominent sex dimorphism, wide lateral alae, numerous somatic papillae in both sexes, and wide triangularly shaped gubernaculum and simple prominent spicules in males. Cosmocerca goroensis n. sp. distinguished from congeners, previously reported in Southern Africa by the shape of the gubernaculum and arrangement of somatic papillae in males. Morphological differences were confirmed by molecular analysis based on fragments of the 28S gene. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 28S gene fragments, including C. goroensis n. sp. and newly obtained sequence of C. ornata from Pelophylax lessonae from Ukraine, supported previously known data of closer relationships between species of Cosmocerca and Aplectana and more distant with Cosmocercoides spp.

Three new species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905 (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) parasitic in Ptychadena spp. (Amphibia: Anura: Ptychadenidae) and an identification key to Rhabdias spp. from Afrotropical anurans.

Three new species of lung-dwelling nematodes are described from the frogs Ptychadena anchietae (Bocage), P. oxyrhynchus (Smith), and P. uzungwensis (Loveridge) in southern Africa. All three species are medium-sized species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905, with the thick-walled buccal capsules measuring 11-13 µm × 6-11 µm, consisting of longer anterior and shorter posterior parts. Rhabdias athos n. sp. and R. porthos n. sp. are characterised by the rounded anterior end of the body and the presence of short dilatation of the oesophagus at its mid-length. Rhabdias porthos n. sp. has distinct excretory glands which are absent in two other species. Rhabdias aramis n. sp. is characterised by the truncated anterior end and the slight constriction of the oesophagus at the level of its mid-length. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS-28S rDNA sequences placed R. aramis n. sp. in the clade consisting of R. engelbrechti Kuzmin et al., 2017 from South Africa and Eurasian Rhabdias spp., while R. athos n. sp. and R. porthos n. sp. formed a sister group to that clade. Identification key to 14 Rhabdias spp. parasitic in anuran amphibians from the Afrotropical Realm is provided.

Spiroxys ankarafantsika Roca et Garcia, 2008 (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) and Other Nematodes Parasitising Pelusios spp. (Testudines: Pelomedusidae) from South Africa and Mozambique.

INTRODUCTION: The nematode Spiroxys ankarafantsika was described parasitising freshwater turtles Pelusios castanoides and Pelomedusa subrufra from Madagascar. During parasitological surveys at different localities in Mozambique and South Africa the species was recovered from the digestive tract of Pelusios sinuatus, P. subniger and P. castanoides. METHODS: The species were identified based on the morphology of the anterior extremity (absence of additional teeth on pseudolabia) and the male caudal end (number and arrangement of caudal papillae, size and shape of spicules). Molecular data included a 720 bp sequence fragment of 18S rDNA, the entire internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 5.8S rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS), flanked by a 288 bp 18S rDNA sequence and about 1000 bp 28S rDNA sequence, and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene marker obtained in the present study. RESULTS: All specimen recovered were identical, based on morphological and molecular data, with the exception of two specimens showing an intraspecific divergence of 9% based on a 694 bp sequence fragment of the cox1 gene. Additionally, a Contracaecum sp. third stage larva and an unidentified larva with mushroom-shaped anterior extremity were found. Descriptions of S. ankarafantsika and the two above-mentioned larval stages, supported by photomicrographs and molecular data 18S rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S and cox1 gene fragments are presented herein.