Dataset Information

Redescription of the Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis with new host species and geographic range.

ABSTRACT: The Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis (Oka, 1917) Sawyer, 1986 (Euhirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) was collected from five new host species, Southeastern Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Heosemys annandalii), Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys macrocephala), Mekong Snail-eating Turtle (M. subtrijuga), and Khorat Snail-eating Turtle (M. khoratensis) and was found for the first time in Udon Thani, Thailand. Examination of live leeches provided, for the first time, data on coloration and the combination of parental care behavior, both carrying cocoons and attaching cocoons to the substrate. This species was separated from its congeners based on the following characters: one pair of eyes; spines at proboscis subterminal; mouth terminal on oral sucker; absent plaque in neck region; gonopores located in furrow and separated by two annuli; distinctly triannulated mid-body segments; crop with seven pairs and branched caeca; caudal sucker slightly over half of maximum body width; and strongly dorsal papillae. Phylogenetic relationships based on the COI and ND1 genes were clarified and demonstrated that the species is distinct from others. The original description was amended and the taxonomic history is discussed.

SUBMITTER: Chiangkul K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6254108 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Redescription of the Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis with new host species and geographic range.

Chiangkul Krittiya K Trivalairat Poramad P Purivirojkul Watchariya W

Parasite (Paris, France) 20181126

The Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis (Oka, 1917) Sawyer, 1986 (Euhirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) was collected from five new host species, Southeastern Asian Box Turtle (Cuora amboinensis), Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Heosemys annandalii), Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys macrocephala), Mekong Snail-eating Turtle (M. subtrijuga), and Khorat Snail-eating Turtle (M. khoratensis) and was found for the first time in Udon Thani, Thailand. Examination of live leeches provided, for the ...[more]

PMID: 30474597

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND: One of the main challenges in evolutionary parasitology is to determine the factors that explain variation among host species in parasitism. In this study, we addressed whether host phylogeny or ecology was important in determining host species use by water mites. Parasitism (prevalence and intensity) by Arrenurus water mites was examined in relation to geographic distribution of host damselflies from sibling species pairs. In addition, the likelihood of putative mite species parasitizing both species of a host species pair was explored. RESULTS: A total of 1162 damselflies were examined for water mites across four sites in Southeastern Ontario. These damselflies represent ten species (five closely related host species pairs) in the Coenagrionidae. Only two of the five species pairs showed near significant or significant differences in prevalence of infection by mites. In one of those species comparisons, it was the less widespread host that had higher water mite prevalence and in the other species comparison, the less widespread host species had lower water mite prevalence. Only one of the five pairs showed a significant difference in intensity of infection; intensity was higher in the species with a smaller geographic distribution. Based on the COI barcode, there were nine water mite clades (OTU) infecting these ten host species. Three Arrenurus OTUs may be host monospecific, four OTUs were specific to a given host species pair, and two OTUs infected at least three host species. Host species in each species pairs tend to share at least one of the Arrenurus OTU. No striking differences in mite species diversity were found among species in any species pair. Finally, the Arrenurus examined in this study appear to be ecological specialists, restricted to a particular type of habitat, parasitizing few to many of the host species present in that site or habitat. CONCLUSIONS: Although differences in levels of parasitism by water mites exist for some closely related hosts species, no such differences were found between other related host species. Differences in geographic range of related host species does not reliably explain differential levels of parasitism by water mites.

Project description:Geographic range size is often conceptualized as a fixed attribute of a species and treated as such for the purposes of quantification of extinction risk; species occupying smaller geographic ranges are assumed to have a higher risk of extinction, all else being equal. However many species are mobile, and their movements range from relatively predictable to-and-fro migrations to complex irregular movements shown by nomadic species. These movements can lead to substantial temporary expansion and contraction of geographic ranges, potentially to levels which may pose an extinction risk. By linking occurrence data with environmental conditions at the time of observations of nomadic species, we modeled the dynamic distributions of 43 arid-zone nomadic bird species across the Australian continent for each month over 11 years and calculated minimum range size and extent of fluctuation in geographic range size from these models. There was enormous variability in predicted spatial distribution over time; 10 species varied in estimated geographic range size by more than an order of magnitude, and 2 species varied by >2 orders of magnitude. During times of poor environmental conditions, several species not currently classified as globally threatened contracted their ranges to very small areas, despite their normally large geographic range size. This finding raises questions about the adequacy of conventional assessments of extinction risk based on static geographic range size (e.g., IUCN Red Listing). Climate change is predicted to affect the pattern of resource fluctuations across much of the southern hemisphere, where nomadism is the dominant form of animal movement, so it is critical we begin to understand the consequences of this for accurate threat assessment of nomadic species. Our approach provides a tool for discovering spatial dynamics in highly mobile species and can be used to unlock valuable information for improved extinction risk assessment and conservation planning.

Project description:The Somali Sengi or Somali Elephant-shrew ('Elephantulus' revoilii, Macroscelidea, Mammalia) has been considered a "lost species" and is primarily known from about 39 museum specimens, with no new vouchered occurrence records since the early 1970s. The scientific literature contains no data concerning living Somali Sengi individuals and the species' current Data Deficient conservation status is attributable to an absence of modern information. Almost everything that has been published about the species is derived from anatomical examinations of historic specimens, gleaned from museum collection notes, or inferred from the known habits and ecology of other sengi taxa. Here we report new evidence that the Somali Sengi is currently extant. These data include voucher specimens, georeferenced occurrence localities, body measurements, habitat parameters, and DNA sequences. While the species is historically documented as endemic to Somalia, these new records are from the neighboring Republic of Djibouti and thus expand the Somali Sengi's known range in the Horn of Africa. Furthermore, Djiboutian locality data near international borders suggests that the Somali Sengi is also a current inhabitant of both Somalia and Ethiopia. Criteria that inform conservation status assessments (e.g., suitable habitat contiguity and occurrence in wildlife protected areas) can be positively characterized in Djibouti and therefore bode well for the survival of the Somali Sengi species. New data also inform previously undocumented substrate and sheltering affiliations. DNA analyses indicate that the Somali Sengi is a descendant of the Macroscelidini lineage and therefore reveal that the species' referral to the genus Elephantulus is incompatible with sengi phylogeny. This taxonomic issue is resolved by recognizing a new genus replacement and recombinant binomial that redesignates the Somali Sengi as Galegeeska revoilii (gen. nov., nov. comb). An analysis of ancestral biogeography suggests that the Somali Sengi has inhabited the Horn of Africa for more than 5.4 million years-and the recognition of the species' phylogenetic ancestry appends the already remarkable biogeographic story of the Macroscelidini tribe.

Dataset Information

Redescription of the Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis with new host species and geographic range.

Publications

Redescription of the Siamese shield leech Placobdelloides siamensis with new host species and geographic range.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets