An opisthorchiid concept of the genus Liliatrema (Trematoda: Plagiorchiida: Opisthorchioidea): an unexpected systematic position

Liliatrema is a small genus of trematodes consisting of two species. Its systematic position has long been debated, partly because of the confusing reports about the structure of male terminal genitalia. Here we test the phylogenetic position of the genus Liliatrema using data on complete 18S rRNA and partial 28S rRNA gene sequences obtained for Liliatrema skrjabini. We also provide a detailed description of terminal genitalia in adult specimens of L. sobolevi and metacercariae of both Liliatrema species. The results of the 28S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis indicate that Liliatrema falls within a well-supported clade, which also includes Apophallus and traditional opisthorchiids. This clade, in turn, is nested within a well-supported clade, containing Euryhelmis, Cryptocotyle and Scaphanocephalus. In the 18S+8S rDNA analysis, Liliatrema appears as a sister-taxon to the Cryptocotyle + Euryhelmis group. The Liliatrema + (Cryptocotyle + Euryhelmis) clade is a well-supported sister-group to the traditional opisthorchiids. The morphology of the terminal genitalia of the liliatrematids also corresponds to that of the opisthorchioids. Thus, the results of our morphological and phylogenetic analyses favour an unexpected conclusion that the genus Liliatrema belongs to the Opisthorchioidea. We propose that the genera Liliatrema, Apophallus, Euryhelmis, Cryptocotyle and Scaphanocephalus belong, respectively, within the subfamilies Liliatrematinae, Apophallinae, Euryhelminthinae and Cryptocotylinae of the family Opisthorchiidae.

Jawless land snail Sinorachis, a new bradybaenine genus from China (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae)

A new land snail species that represents a new genus is reported from Hubei, China. The snail has a conical shell with pits and/or granules on embryonic whorls and a smooth teleoconch with straight peristome. The head of the animal has a developed wart. The mantle lobe is only developed on the left side. At the front of the buccal mass there is no chitinous jaw that is without exception seen in Chinese camaenids. Its radular teeth are usually slender and tongue-shaped, not typical in bradybaenine snails. The genital system is typical of Bradybaeninae and is characterized by the absence of a membranous sac surrounding the terminal genitalia, penial caecum or flagellum; a well-developed penis sheath; a symmetrical dart sac apparatus; and one distally branched mucous gland. The new species Sinorachis baihu Wu & Chen, gen. and sp. nov., is assigned to the type species of the new genus, in which all the known Chinese Rachis species are included. Thereby, the new genus is composed of three species, namely Sinorachis onychinus (Heude), comb. nov., Sinorachis aureus (Heude), comb. nov. and the new species.

Asaccotrema vietnamiense n. gen.; n. sp. (Trematoda: Monorchioidea), a new aberrant representative of lissorchiid trematodes from the sidestripe rasbora, Rasbora paviana Tirant (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae), Vietnam

In this paper we erect Asaccotrema n. gen. of Lissorchiidae Magath, 1917 (Trematoda, Monorchioidea) and provide a description of Asaccotrema vietnamiense n. sp., that infects freshwater fish in Vietnam. The morphology of Asaccotrema n. gen. is significantly different from that of other lissorchiid genera due to the absence of the cirrus-sac, and position of the genital pore sublaterally, near the middle level of the esophagus. The male terminal genitalia are characterized by the presence of the seminal vesicle, which is surrounded by prostate gland-cells, a tubular pars prostatica and a long unarmed ejaculatory duct. The terminal portion of the cluster of prostate gland-cells, which surrounds pars prostatica and the distal end of seminal vesicle, is covered with a thin-walled open-ended membrane, and the other constituents of the male terminal genitalia are naked. Asaccotrema vietnamiense n. sp. specimens are found as progenetic metacercariae on the liver of the sidestripe rasbora, Rasbora paviana Tirant (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae). A partial sequence was obtained for the 28S rRNA gene (rDNA) of A. vietnamiense n. sp. The 28S rDNA-based phylogenetic analyses support the integration of A. vietnamiense n. sp. into the Lissorchiidae clade, which also includes Lissorchis kritskyi Barnhart & Powell, 1979 and Asymphylodora perccotti Besprozvanykh, Ermolenko & Atopkin, 2012. This is the second record of a lissorchiid species in fish in Vietnam.

A taxonomic note on the helicoid land snail genus Traumatophora (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae)

Traumatophoratriscalpta(Martens, 1875) is reported for the first time from the Tianmushan Mountains, Zhejiang Province, and its morpho-anatomy is described based on this new material. The genusTraumatophorais redefined on the basis of both shell and genital anatomy of its type species. The presence of the dart apparatus suggests this genus belongs to the subfamily Bradybaeninae rather than to the Camaeninae. This genus is distinguished from all other Chinese bradybaenine genera by the combination of the following key morphological characteristics: embryonic shell smooth, palatal teeth present, dart sac tiny with rounded proximal accessory sac that opens into a dart sac chamber, mucous glands well developed, entering an accessory sac through a papilla, epiphallic papilla absent, flagellum present. A comparison is also presented of Chinese bradybaenine genera with known terminal genitalia.

New data on the morphology and phylogenetic connections of Postlepidapedon opisthobifurcatum (Trematoda, Lepocreadioidea: Lepidapedidae), a parasite of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fishes

Summary The trematode Postlepidapedon opisthobifurcatum (Zdzitowiecki, 1990) is a common intestinal parasite of the gadiform fishes of the Southern Ocean. In this work, we supplement the description of the species with the anatomy of the terminal part of the reproductive system and with molecular data. The male terminal genitalia are characterised by the presence of the external seminal vesicle and cirrus-sac. The external seminal vesicle is surrounded by aciniform groups of outer prostatic cells. Groups of outer prostatic cells and proximal parts of their ducts are associated with a thin-walled membrane that is connected to the proximal edge of the cirrus-sac. The cirrus-sac is claviform, with a long proximal part accommodating the tubular, thin-walled internal seminal vesicle and ducts of outer prostatic cells. The female terminal genitalia are represented by a thick-walled metraterm, which is surrounded by aciniform groups of glandular cells. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28S rDNA partial sequences data placed P. opisthobifurcatum into the monophyletic group Lepidapedidae, including the species Myzoxenus insolens (Crowcroft, 1945), Intusatrium robustum Durio et Manter, 1968, and Postlepidapedon uberis Bray, Cribb et Barker, 1997. However, we were unable to detect direct phylogenetic connections between P. opisthobifurcatum and P. uberis.

A fossil caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Eocene of Colorado

A new genus and species of fossil caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Lower Eocene (Ypresian) Green River Formation of Colorado is described. Litholimnephilops yinani gen. et sp. nov. is the first adult caddisfly to be described from the Green River Formation, and is characterized by large adult body size, presence of ocelli, dark leg spines, and a lack of terminal crossveins in the anterior anastomosis region of the forewings. Terminal genitalia are not visible in the preserved specimen. Familial placement is uncertain, though similarities with the families Limnephilidae and Phryganeidae are observed.

A redescription of Lobatostoma kemostoma (MacCallum & MacCallum, 1913) (Trematoda: Aspidogastrea) from the florida pompano fish Trachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1766) off the Brazilian coast

A redescription of the aspidogastrean trematode Lobatostoma kemostoma (MacCallum & MacCallum, 1913) is provided based on examination of type material, voucher specimens available at institutional collections and newly collected specimens from the type host, Trachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1766), off the Angra dos Reis, Brazil. Partial sequence of its 28S rDNA is given. Lobatostoma kemostoma can be distinguished from the other eight species of the genus by: (1) the hindbody being longer than the ventral disc; and (2) the cephalic lobes having the same shape and size. Features observed for the first time include the number and detailed arrangement of alveoli on the ventral disc, the terminal genitalia and the ovarian complex. New illustrations and morphometric data are given. In the present survey the host specificity in the genus, the validity of some morphological features and the occurrence of an Indian species of Lobatostoma from off the Brazilian coast are discussed. A lectotype of L. kemostoma from the type series deposited at United States National Parasite Collection is also designated.

A review of the Lepocreadiidae (Digenea, Lepocreadioidea) from fishes of the waters around New Caledonia

The lepocreadiid fauna of New Caledonia is reported and discussed and a new species and several new host and locality records presented. Hypoporus plataxi sp. nov. from Platax teira is described and distinguished from its only congener by its terminal genitalia, the structure of the anterior part of the alimentary system and other morphological features. New host and locality records and a description are given of Lepotrema cf. clavatum Ozaki, 1932 in Sufflamen fraenatum. New host and locality records are given of Lobatocreadium exiguum (Manter, 1963) in Pseudobalistes fuscus, which is also reported in the known hosts Abalistes filamentosus and Sufflamen fraenatum. New host and locality records are given of Opisthogonoporus amadai Yamaguti, 1937 in Branchiostegus wardi. A new host record is made for Holorchis plectorhynchi Durio et Manter, 1968 in Diagramma pictum. New records in New Caledonian waters are of Bulbocirrus aulostomiYamaguti, 1965 in Aulostomus chinensis, Echeneidocoelium indicum Simha et Pershad, 1964 in Echeneis naucrates, Lepidapedoides kalikali Yamaguti, 1970 in Pristipomoides auricilla, Neomultitestis aspidogastriformis Bray et Cribb, 2003 in Platax teira, Opechona bacillaris (Molin, 1859) in Rastrelliger kanagurta, Prodistomum keyam Bray et Cribb, 1996 in Monodactylus argenteus and Pseudopisthogonoporus vitellosus (Pritchard, 1963) in Naso brevirostris and N. annulatus. New metrical data are presented for Holorchis castex Bray et Justine, 2007 in Diagramma pictum, Hypocreadium patellareYamaguti, 1938 in Sufflamen fraenatum, Intusatrium robustum Durio et Manter, 1968 in Bodianus loxozonus and B. perditio and Lepidapedoides angustus Bray, Cribb et Barker, 1996 in Epinephelus chlorostigma, E. fasciatus, E. maculatus and E. retouti. Literature records are included and the fauna in general discussed.

Description of Neolepidapedoides subantarcticus sp. nov. (Digenea, Lepocreadiidae) from sub-Antarctic notothenioid fishes

Neolepidapedoides subantarcticus sp. nov. (Digenea, Lepocreadiidae) is reported from the intestine, mainly the jejunum, of fishes in the eastern mouth of the Beagle Channel and in the harbour of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) at a depth 7–30 m. The typical host is Patagonotothen longipes, other hosts are P. tessellata, P. brevicauda and Champsocephalus esox. The male terminal genitalia indicates that the new species belongs to the genus Neolepidapedoides (Lepocreadiidae, Lepocreadiinae). The most important taxonomic features are the presence of eye-spots, the spined tegument, the “Opechona-type” cirrus-sac, the external seminal vesicle free in the parenchyma, the gonads arranged in tandem, the vitelline follicles extending from the level of the oesophagus in the forebody to the posterior end of the body and an I-shaped excretory vesicle reaching to the intestinal bifurcation and the absence of a pseudoesophagus. Ten previously described species differ from the N. subantarcticus sp. nov. mainly in the extent of the vitelline fields and length of the excretory vesicle which reaches into forebody.