A description of the life stages of Echinoparyphium elegans (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae)

South Africa urgently requires a national strategic plan for the conservation of the country's biodiversity. The formulation of such a plan would be relatively easy if centres (hotspots) of richness, endemism and rarity were congruent, both within and among many different taxa, if these hotspots captured a large proportion of the total species, and if hotspots fell within existing reserves. The investigation of six vertebrate taxa (vizfreshwater fish, frogs, tortoises and terrapins, snakes, birds, and various mammal orders) at a national scale reveals that hotspots are not coincident within taxa. Centres of richness are concentrated in the north-eastern areas of the country, whereas endemism is concentrated in the south-west, and centres of rare and threatened {Red Data Book) species can be in either area. Paired comparisons among taxa reveal greatly varying proportional overlaps of species richness hotspots (0-72%). The proportion of total species falling in hotspots ranges from low (66% for fish) to high (92% for birds). Hotspots are thus not an efficient method of siting representative (ideal) reserves. In order to design a more representative reserve system to protect all vertebrate species, a complementarity algorithm was applied to all taxa separately, and then to all taxa combined. The combined analysis yielded more efficient results {66 reserves are required to represent all 1074 species at least once) than the separate analyses (97 reserves). Many of these representative reserves coincide with both hotspots and existing reserves, and over 85% of the hotspots of most taxa coincide with existing reserves, thus South Africa's vertebrate fauna could be more effectively protected with only moderate acquisition of new, well-sited reserves. A biome analysis reveals that these reserves will also have to incorporate areas of those biomes that are currently inadequately protected, viz grassland, Succulent Karoo and Nama-Karoo. The methods outlined in this paper should be applied to as many other taxa as possible, in order to aid the formulation of a national strategic plan for biodiversity conservation.     

Ixodes (Afrixodes) drakensbergensis n. sp. from domestic and wild animals in Natal, Republic of South Africa.

Ixodes (Afrixodes) drakensbergensis n. sp., is described from females, males, nymphs and larvae collected on a drag at Giant's Castle Nature Reserve, Natal, Republic of South Africa; it was also taken from an eland in the same area and from goats and a cow in the adjacent Tank Area 118. The occurrence of I. (A.) drakensbergensis on domestic animals suggests that it may be of economic importance in this area. Information is provided to separate the new species from other closely related Ixodes species that occur or may occur in this region.     

The penetration of mammalian skin by cercariae of Trichobilharzia sp. (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from South Africa

The ability of the cercariae of Trichobilharzia sp., the commonest avian schistosome in South Africa, to cause dermatitis in man is confirmed, and their progress through and resultant histopathology in rodent skin are documented. These cercariae reach the subcutaneous tissue within one hour after exposure, and some migrate to the lungs. Between 46 and 97 h later, those stranded in the skin have died, while those in the epidermis are extruded by 97 h. There were haematological changes in the peripheral blood and a rapid rise and fall in the mitotic rate of the basal epithelium of the epidermis.     

Ixodes (Afrixodes) Neitzi, n. sp. (Acarina: Ixodidae) from the mountain reedbuck in South Africa

Ixodes (Afrixodes) neitzi n. sp. is described from females and males collected from the mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Information is provided to distinguish this new species from other closely related Ixodes species that occur in the Ethiopian region. Its predilection sites are noted and the area in which it occurs is described briefly.     

Tetrameres numida n. sp. (Nematoda: Tetrameridae) from Helmeted guineafowls, Numida meleagris (Linnaeus, 1758), in South Africa

Tetrameres numida n. sp. from the proventriculus of Helmeted guineafowls, Numida meleagris, in South Africa is described from eight male and four female specimens. The new species shares some characteristics with other Tetrameres species, but can be differentiated by a unique combination of characters. It bears two rows of cuticular spines extending over the whole length of the body and possesses two spicules. The left spicule measures 1699-2304 microm and the right one 106-170 microm. Caudal spines are arranged in three ventral and three lateral pairs and the tail is 257-297 microm long. Diagnostic criteria of some of the previously described species of the genus Tetrameres from Africa and other parts of the world have been compiled from the literature and are included here.     

Description of Pelonia africana n. g., n. sp. (Pentastomida: Sebekidae) from the lungs of Pelomedusa subrufa and Pelusios sinuatus (Chelonia) in South Africa

The terrapins Pelomedusa subrufa and Pelusios sinuatus taken from a water reservoir in the Northern Province, South Africa, were examined for pentastome infections. Two immature specimens, a patent female and a mature male, were obtained from the lungs of four hosts, each of which harboured a single specimen. Based on the morphology of the specimens the new monospecific genus, Pelonia africana n. g., n. sp., is described. It is characterized by smooth, dorsally convex hooks with sharply bent blades. The oral cadre is more or less U-shaped. Delicate chitinous fibres, which can be difficult to see, connect the lateral prongs anteriorly. In this, as well as the morphology of the copulatory spicules, it is most like Sebekia wedli. The latter, however, possesses spinous hooks, which are absent in P. africana. The hooks are slightly and the copulatory spicules markedly larger in P. africana than in S. wedli. The lack of a double-hooked collar at the terminal end of the cowry-shell shaped base of each copulatory spicule and the absence of a peg-like extension of the oral cadre into the oesophagus, distinguishes P. africana from members of the genus Alofia. The oral cadre of the South American species Diesingia megastoma, from aquatic chelonians, is more than twice the size than that of Pelonia and there is a distinct difference in shape. The hooks of the genus Diesingia are flat-topped, and both the anterior as well as the posterior fulcra carry cowl-like extensions. The number of annuli, 55-60 in D. megastoma and approximately 30 in P. africana, further separates the two genera. The most striking feature of Diesingia which sets it apart from Pelonia and the other genera of the family Sebekidae, is the configuration of its copulatory spicules. Pelonia and Diesingia share morphological features with all the other sebekiids, but it is the unique combination of diagnostic characters that separates the two genera from those, as well as from each other.     

Light and scanning electron microscopy of the miracidium of Echinostoma paraensei (Trematoda, Echinostomatidae)

Echinostoma paraensei was described 1967 by Lie and Basch. Recently its natural definitive host, the aquatic rodent Nectomys squamipes, endemic in Brazil, was identified. As most of the echinostomatids, this species presents a zoonotic potential. The morphology and topography of the E. paraensei miracidium obtained from adult worms collected from the natural definitive host N. squamipes is described by light and electron microscopy. The arrangement and the dimensions of the epidermal plates are given. The eyespots are composed by two pairs of lenses measuring 6.03 microm. SEM observations shows that the miracidium body is covered by cilia except at the terebratorium region and the presence of alpha-tubulin in the cilia of the larvae is first recorded by immunelabeling. Nineteen papilla-like structures arranged in three axes and four groups were observed at the terebratoriun, this structure is retractable, presenting folds and a corrugated surface with profiles of cytoplasmic expansions, forming network of anatomizing folds.     

Lamproglena hoi n.sp. (Copepoda: Lernaeidae) from two yellowfish hosts, Barbus marequensis and Barbus polylepis, caught in a river in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Lamproglena hoi n.sp. species was collected from the gill filaments of largescale yellowfish, Barbus marequensis A. Smith, 1841 and smallscale yellowfish, Barbus polylepis Boulenger, 1907 from the Spekboom River, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The genus Lamproglena is characterized. Morphological features of L. hoi are described and illustrated by means of drawings and scanning electron micrographs. This species is also compared with congener species described from other Barbus spp.     

Biochemical and histological responses of Rattus novergicus (Wistar) infected by Echinostoma paraensei (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae)

Tests were performed to evaluate the biochemical alterations in Rattus norvegicus after infection by the intestinal trematode Echinostoma paraensei. The rodents received 150 metacercariae each, serum samples were collected and the parasite load was quantified weekly until the fifth week of infection. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), bilirubin, glucose, total proteins and fractions and hepatic glycogen were determined. All the animals exposed to the metacercariae were infected in the first week and worms were recovered up to the third week after infection. The levels of AST, ALT, GGT, bilirubin and globulin rose in the first and/or second week and declined thereafter to levels near those of the control group. In contrast, the level of total proteins in the plasma fell significantly in the first week while the ALKP activity went down only in the fourth and fifth weeks in relation to the control group. There was no significant difference in the levels of albumin, glycogen and glucose. Infection by E. paraensei in R. norvegicus causes changes in the hepatic function, possibly resulting from the cholestasis produced by the partial obstruction of the bile duct by the helminths.     

The genus Xiphinema in southern Africa. XI. Description of Xiphinema stockeri n. sp. from Botswana (Nematoda: Dorylaimida)

Xiphinema stocken 'n. sp. is described from Botswana The new species is characterized by an exceptionally long and conspicuous peg on the tail, and seems to be most closely related to X. mammatum Siddiqi, 1979, from which it can be distinguished by the a ratio, odontostyle and total stylet length, spicule length, the shape of the lip region and tail peg and the presence of a pseudo-z differentiation in X. stocken.     

The ecology of two degraded estuaries on the north coast of Natal,South Africa

The biota of the Tongati and Mdloti estuaries were studied in relation to the environment and human interference. Results are compared with those obtained from a relatively undamaged estuary. The Tongati receives treated sewage effluent, is rarely closed from the sea, has low salinities and low oxygen tensions, but is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Energy values of benthic floe from Tongati were high and large quantities of water hyacinth (Eichomia crassipes) occurred. The zooplankton and zoobenthos were impoverished and dominated by freshwater species. The roots of Eichomia provided a habitat for many invertebrates, chiefly insect larvae and the crab Varuna iitterata. The fish fauna was poor and most species were confined to the lagoon near the mouth. Iliophagous species, mainly Mugilidae, were dominant. The Mdloti, frequently closed from the sea but often artificially opened, exhibited typical estuarine salinity patterns, was well oxygenated but relatively poor in phosphorus and nitrogen. Primary production and energy values of benthic floe were low. Zooplankton and zoobenthos were impoverished. The fish fauna, similar to that of Tongati, was dominated by Mugilidae.

The food chain from benthic floe to iliophagous fish remains viable in these degraded estuaries.     

Two new species of ticks from southern Africa whose adults parasitize the feet of ungulates: Rhipicephalus lounsburyi n. sp. and Rhipicephalus neumanni n. sp. (Ixodoidea, Ixodidae)

Theiler & Robinson (1953) described, as Rhipicephalus follis D?nitz, 1910, a tick species originating from Dordrecht, Eastern Cape Province. A comparison of this tick with the syntypes of R. follis has now shown, though, that these 2 entities are different and it is therefore redescribed below as Rhipicephalus lounsburyi n. sp. Its adults parasitize sheep and various wild ungulates, attaching primarily on their feet. The hosts of the immature stages are still unknown. It has now been recorded from several places in the Eastern Cape; once in Natal, at Impendle, and in the Western Cape near Swellendam and between Clanwilliam and Graafwater. A second species, which has in the past been confused with the dassie parasite, Rhipicephalus distinctus Bedford, 1932, is described as Rhipicephalus neumanni n. sp. Its adults also attach on the feet of sheep and goats. The hosts of the immature stages are unknown. It has been widely recorded in the Bethanien and Keetmanshoop Districts of Namibia and, in South Africa, from scattered localities in the Karoo.     

Molineus cati n. sp. (Nematoda, Trichostrongylina, Molineoidea), a parasite of feral cats, Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 in South Africa

A new species of the genus Molineus Cameron, 1923 was recovered from feral cats, Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758, in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Because of a caudal bursa with rays of the 2-1-2 type, but with the extremities of rays 4 nearer those of rays 3 than those of rays 5, the new species is closely related to seven Neotropical Molineus spp., four parasitic in Primates, two parasitic in Mustelidae and one a parasite of Procyonidae. Amongst these species, only Molineus barbaris Cameron, 1936, a parasite of Tayra barbara (Mustelidae) from Trinidad and Molineus vexillarius (Dunn, 1961), a parasite of Tamarinus nigricollis (Primates) from Peru have rays 4 longer than two-thirds the length of rays 3, like the new species. However, the new species is differentiated from the other two in that rays 9 arise at the level of the bifurcation of the dorsal ray and not after the division as is the case with M. barbaris and M. vexillarius.     

Eimeria capricornis n.sp., E. nihonis n.sp., E. naganoensis n.sp., and E. kamoshika n.sp. (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) from the Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus

Eimeria capricornis n.sp., E. nihonis n.sp., E. naganoensis n.sp. and E. kamoshika n.sp. were detected from the Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus. The oocysts of these species were ovoid to ellipsoid, measuring 48.02 +/- 0.53 x 33.93 +/- 0.35 microns, 29.73 +/- 0.45 x 21.01 +/- 0.29 microns, 20.04 +/- 0.05 x 15.77 +/- 0.04 microns and 30.02 +/- 4.24 x 14.58 +/- 2.03 micron, respectively. In all the species the micropyle was observed, but the micropylar cap and oocyst residuum were not present. The polar granules were observed in the oocysts of E. capricornis. The sporocysts of the above species were spherical to elongate ovoid, measuring 15-23 x 8-13 microns, 14-16 x 7-10 microns, 11-13 x 6-8 microns and 8-10 x 6-7 microns, and the sporulation time was 6, 3, 3 and 6 days, respectively. The sporocyst residuum and refractile body were seen in all the species. In the sporocysts of E. naganoensis and E. kamoshika tiny Stieda body was seen, but not in the other two species. These four Eimeria species were not infective to goats.     

The eggs of some blood-flukes (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) from South African birds

The eggs of three species of avian schistosomes were recovered from indigenous South African birds. Gigantobilharzia sp. was recorded from the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus and the gannet, Morus capensis; Austrobilharzia sp. from L. dominicanus, and Trichobilharzia sp. from the spurwing goose, Plectropterus gambensis, the Egyptian goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus and L. dominicanus. The morphology of these eggs is compared to that of described species of avian schistosomes.     

Species identification,distribution and abundance of Gerreidae (Teleostei) Bleeker,1859 in the estuaries of Natal

Comparison of published meristic and taxonomic data with measurements taken from specimens collected from Natal estuaries have provided information for an identification key to the Gerres of southern Africa. Body markings were different on each species of fry (< 40 mm S.L.) as well as immatures and adults (> 40 mm S.L.). A comparison of otoliths from the different species showed that they can be used to Identify specimens from a standard length of 20 mm. Turbidity may be a factor limiting the distribution of the genus in estuaries. The known distribution of Gerres species in the estuaries of southern Africa is given. The species of Gerres which is dominant in a particular locality depends on the salinity.     

Parasites of South African wildlife. XVIII. Cooperia pigachei n. sp. (Nematoda: Cooperiidae) from the mountain reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula (Afzelius, 1815)

A new species of Cooperia, for which the name Cooperia pigachei n. sp. is proposed, was recovered from a mountain reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula, from the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve, Free State Province, and is described and illustrated. It is close to Cooperia neitzi M?nnig, 1932 and the South African race of Cooperia rotundispiculum in having more than 14 longitudinal cuticular ridges and in that the lateral cervical synlophe is of the closed type. The new species differs from all the other species of the genus in that the lateral branches of the dorsal ray are large and T-shaped. The spicules are robust, over 0.3 mm long and have large, curved shoes on their tips.