Endoparasites of the Bird-Voiced Treefrog, Hyla Avivoca (Anura: Hylidae), from Arkansas

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Kornakova,E. E.,andT. A. Timofeeva. 1981. Anew Schell, S. C. 1972. The early development of Udo- species of udonellids from the coast of East Mur- nella caligorum Johnston, 1835 (Trematoda: man. Parazitologia 15:56-61. (In Russian.) Monogenea). Journal of Parasitology 58:1119- Price, E. W. 1938. North American monogenetic 1121. trematodes. II. The families Monocotylidae, Mi- . 1985. Handbook of trematodes of North crobothriidae, Acanthocotylidae, and Udonelli- America north of Mexico. University of Idaho dae (Capsaloidea). Journal of Washington Acad- Press, Moscow. 263 pp. emy of Science 28:183-198.

J. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 60(1), 1993, pp. 140-143

Research Note Endoparasites of the Bird-voiced Treefrog, Hyla avivoca (Anura: Hylidae), from Arkansas

CHRIS T. MCALLISTER,' STANLEY E. TRAUTH,2 STEVE J. UrroN,3 AND DAVID H. JAMIESON2 1 Renal-Metabolic Lab (151-G), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4500 S. Lancaster Road, Dallas, Texas 75216, 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, State University, Arkansas 72467', and 3 Division of Biology, Ackert Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506

ABSTRACT: Sixty-one juvenile and adult bird-voiced mieson et al., 1993), and only 1 report has been treefrogs, Hyla avivoca Viosca, 1928, were collected published on parasites of this frog. Reiber (1941) from 8 counties of central and southern Arkansas and reported Oswaldocruzia waltoni Ingles, 1936 from examined for endoparasites. Thirteen (21%) of the frogs were found to be infected with 1 or more parasites, H. avivoca from Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, a spe- including 13 of 13 with Tritrichomonas augusta, 10 of cies inquirenda according to Baker (1987). We 13 (77%) with Opalina sp., 4 of 13 (31%) with Nyc- report the identity and prevalence of endopara- totherus cordiforrnis, 1 of 61 (2%) with Megalodiscus sites infecting H. avivoca from southern and cen- temperatus, 3 of 61 (5%) with Cylindrotaenia americana, 4 of 61 (7%) with Batracholandros bassii, 2 of tral Arkansas. 61 (3%) with Abbreviata sp., and 5 of 61 (8%) with During May and June 1990 and again between Oswaldocruzia (Oswaldocruzid) pipiens. All represent May and July 1991, 61 juvenile and adult H. new host records for the respective parasites. avivoca (58 males, 3 females, mean ± snout-vent KEY WORDS: Abbreviata sp., Anura, Batracholan- length [SVL] = 36.3 ± 0.5, range 31^8 mm) dros bassii, bird-voiced treefrog, Cylindrotaenia americana, Hyla avivoca, Hylidae, intensity, Megalodiscus were collected by hand in swampy habitat from temperatus, Nyctotherus cordiforrnis, Opalina sp., Os- 8 counties in central (35°05'N, 92°26'W) and waldocruzia pipiens, prevalence, survey, Tritrichomo- southern (33°19'N, 92°32'W) Arkansas. Of these, nas augusta. a subset of 13 frogs (all males, 36.4 ± 0.7, 33- 41 mm SVL) were collected during July 1991 The bird-voiced treefrog, Hyla avivoca Viosca, from Conway (N = 6) and Lafayette (N = 7) 1928, is a small anuran that ranges within the counties and examined for protozoans, and all Mississippi River and Gulf Coast drainage sys- 61 were examined for helminths. Frogs were ex- tems from extreme southern Illinois to South amined within 48 hr of capture. Detailed meth- Carolina, Georgia, and Florida westward to parts ods for examining and processing hosts and pre- of Arkansas and Oklahoma (Smith, 1966; Co- paring and staining parasites are identical to those nant and Collins, 1991). The species generally provided by McAllister et al. (1989). inhabits permanent wooded swamps comprised Voucher specimens of parasites are deposited of tupelo-cypress, birch, and buttonbush. Al- in the U.S. National Museum Parasite Collection though much is available on the natural history (USNM), USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. of related hylids, the biology of//, avivoca is not Voucher specimens of hosts are deposited in the well-known (Trauth and Robinette, 1990; Ja- Arkansas State University Museum of Zoology

(ASUMZ 16003-16015, 16080-16081, 16409- Table 1. Parasites found in Hyla avivoca from Ar- 16411, 17733-17738, 17767-17769, 17800- kansas. 17813, 17815-17821, 17920-17932). USNM Helminth All 13 H. avivoca examined for protozoans Collection harbored at least 1 species, and 13 of 61 (21 %) Parasite Number Prevalence* were infected with helminths (Table 1). None of the frogs was infected with apicomplexan or try- Protozoa Mastigophora panosomal parasites in the blood, the intestinal Tritrichomonas contents and feces were negative for coccidia, augusta 82024-82025 13/13(100%) and the gallbladder did not contain myxozoans. Opalinata The cosmopolitan flagellate, Tritrichomonas Opalina sp. 82024 10/13(77%) augusta Alexeieff, 1911, was commonly found Ciliophora Nyctotherus in the colon and rectum of//, avivoca. This pro- cordiformis 82025 4/13(31%) tozoan has been reported previously from nu- Platyhelminthes merous anurans, including the canyon treefrog, Trematoda Hyla arenicolor, green treefrog, H. cinerea\n treefrogMegalodiscus, //. eximia; squirrel treefrog, temperatus 82023 1/61 (2%) H. squirella; gray treefrog, H. versicolor; spring Cestoidea peeper, Pseudacris (syn. Hyla} crucifer; Pacific Cylindrotaenia americana 82021-82022 3/61 (5%) chorus frog, P. (//.) regilla; spotted chorus frog, Nematoda P. clarkii; Brimley's chorus frog, P. brimleyi; and Abbreviata sp. 82066 2/61 (3%) the western chorus frog, P. triserlata (Walton, Batracholandros 1964; McAllister, 1991). bassii 82065 4/61 (7%) Endocommensal Opalina sp. not identifiable Oswaldocruzia pipiens 82020 5/61 (8%) to species were observed in the colon of H. avivoca. Opalina hylaxena Metcalf, 1923, has been * Number infected/number examined (%). previously reported from closely related H. versicolor from Michigan, Massachusetts, Indiana, and Georgia (Metcalf, 1923). In addition, an small intestine of 3 H. avivoca from an unnamed Opalina sp. was reported by Metcalf (1923) from slough near Blackwell and Cox Creek Lake in Cope's gray treefrog, H. chrysoscelis in Texas; Grant County; mean intensity was 3.3 ± 1.5 however, he noted that 3 //. chrysoscelis from (range 1-6) worms. A total of 7 hylids, 3 of which Hot Springs, Arkansas, were negative for opa- are in the genus Hyla, have been reported pre- linids. Other opalinids have been reported from viously as hosts of C. americana, including the other species of Hyla (see Carini, 1937; Metcalf, european hylid, H. arborea from Czechoslo- 1940). vakia, H. arenicolor from Utah, and H. squirella The ciliate Nyctotherus cordiformis Ehrenberg, from Texas (see McAllister, 1991). 1838, also infected the colon of//, avivoca. This A single pharyngodontid nematode, Batracho- ciliate has been reported previously from H. ver- landros bassii (Walton, 1940) Fetter and Quen- sicolor (Walton, 1947) and numerous other hy- tin, 1976, was found in the colon of 4 frogs (3 lids (Walton, 1964; McAllister, 1987). males, 1 female) collected from Calion Lake in A single paramphistomatid digenean, Mega- Union County, Cox Creek Lake in Grant Coun- lodiscus temperatus (Stafford, 1905) Harwood, ty, and an unnamed slough near Blackwell. The 1932, was found in the cloaca of an adult male species was described originally by Walton (1940) H. avivoca from an unnamed slough near Black- as Pharyngodon bassii from Cuban treefrogs, Os- well, Conway County. Other hylid hosts include teopilus septentrionalis. Since then, additional H. chrysoscelis from Nebraska (Brooks, 1976), frogs have been listed as hosts, including Puerto H. cinerea from Texas (Harwood, 1932), H. ex- Rican crested toads, Peltophryne spp., bullfrogs, imia from Mexico (Bravo-Hollis, 1941), and P. Rana catesbeiana, and tropical frogs, Eleuthero- crucifer from Michigan (Najarian, 1955). Brooks dactylus spp. (Barus and Moravec, 1967; Barus, (1976) provided a summary of the amphibians 1972, 1973; Coy Otero and Ventosa, 1984). reported to harbor this worm. Two third-stage Abbreviata sp. were found in Adult nematotaeniid cestodes, Cylindrotaenia the stomach of each of 2 frogs (male and female) atnericana Jewell, 1916, were recovered from the collected from Calion Lake and an unnamed

Copyright © 2011, The Helminthological Society of Washington 142 JOURNAL OF THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY slough near Blackwell. Numerous authors have cies of the genera Parapharyngodon and Batracho- reported physalopteroid larvae from North landros (Oxyuridae). Folia Parasitologica 20:131- 139. American frogs (see McAllister and Freed, 1992). -, and F. Moravec. 1967. Systematic studies of Abbreviata (syn. Physalopterd) ranae (Walton, parasitic worms found in the hosts Lepisosteus 1931) Morgan, 1941, thought to be a valid spe- tristoechus (Ginglymodi, Lepisosteidae) and Hyla cies from frogs, has been designated as species insulsa (Ecaudata, Hylidae) from Cuba. Vestnik Ceskoslovenske Spolecnosti Zoologicke 31:1-14. inquirenda by Baker (1987). Bravo-Hollis, M. 1941. Revision de los generos Di- Five specimens of Oswaldocruzia (Oswaldo- plodiscus Diesing, 1836 y Megalodiscus Chandler, cruzid) pipiens Walton, 1929, were recovered 1923 (Trematoda: Paramphistomoidea). I. An- from the small intestine of 5 H. avivoca (3 males, nales del Instituto de Biologia Universidad Na- 2 females) collected from the aforementioned lo- cional Autonoma de Mexico 12:127-146. Brooks, D. R. 1976. Parasites of amphibians of the cales and Lake Erling, Lafayette County. This Great Plains. Part 2. Platyhelminths of amphibi- nematode is a common parasite of amphibians ans in Nebraska. Bulletin of the University of Ne- and reptiles ranging from Canada to southern braska State Museum 10:65-92. Texas, including P. crucifer, P. streckeri, P. trise- Carini, A. 1937. Contribution a 1'etude des Opalin- riata, H. cinerea, and//, versicolor(Baker, 1977, idae des batracheines du Bresil. Annales de Par- asitologie Humaine et Comparee 15:46-56. 1987; McAllister, 1987). Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1991. A Field Guide In summary, several new host records are re- to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Cen- ported for parasites of//, avivoca from Arkansas. tral North America, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Unfortunately, prevalence of infection could not Boston. be compared between the sexes due to a paucity Coy Otero, A., and L. Ventosa. 1984. Nematodos parasitos de anfibios Cubanos. Poeyana 269:1-20. of females. However, H. avivoca is infected by a Harwood, P. D. 1932. The helminths parasitic in the parasite fauna typical of that reported previously Amphibia and Reptilia of Houston, Texas and for other hylid frogs. This is interesting given vicinity. Proceedings of the United States National that the diet of frogs reported herein, unlike other Museum 81:1-74. species of Hyla, consisted primarily of Cremas- Jamieson, D. H., S. E. Trauth, and C. T. McAllister. 1993. Food habits of male bird-voiced treefrogs, togaster ants (Jamieson et al., 1993). Therefore, Hyla avivoca (Anura: Hylidae), in Arkansas. Texas interpretation of the ecological relationships of Journal of Science 45. (In press.) H. avivoca parasites and potential intermediate McAllister, C. T. 1987. Protozoan and metazoan hosts will have to await additional study of bird- parasites of Strecker's chorus frog, Pseudacris voiced treefrogs collected outside the breeding streckeri streckeri (Anura: Hylidae), from north- central Texas. Proceedings of the Helmintholog- season along with sympatric congeners. Indeed, ical Society of Washington 54:271-274. these parasites may not be typical of this tree frog . 1991. Protozoan, helminth, and arthropod population in general, as there was a conspicuous parasites of the spotted chorus frog, Pseudacris absence of ground-dwelling arthropods in their clarkii (Anura: Hylidae), from north-central Ar- diet compared to other species of Hyla (Jamieson kansas. Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington 58:51-56. etal., 1993). , and P. S. Freed. 1992. Larval Abbreviata sp. We thank the Arkansas Game and Fish Com- (Spirurida: Physalopteridae) in introduced Rio mission for Scientific Collecting Permits Nos. Grande chirping frogs, Syrrhopus cystignathoides 1114 and 831 to C.T.M. and S.E.T., respectively. campi (Anura: Leptodactylidae), from Houston, Texas. Texas Journal of Science 44:359-361. Literature Cited -, S. J. Upton, and D. B. Conn. 1989. A com- parative study of endoparasites in three species of Baker, M. R. 1977. Redescription of Oswaldocruzia sympatric Bufo (Anura: Bufonidae), from Texas. pipiens Walton, 1929 (Nematoda: Trichostron- Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of gylidae) in amphibians. Canadian Journal of Zo- Washington 56:162-167. ology 56:1026-1031. Metcalf, M. M. 1923. The opalinid ciliate infusori- . 1987. Synopsis of the Nematoda parasitic in ans. Bulletin of the United States National Mu- amphibians and reptiles. Memorial University of seum 120:1-484. Newfoundland Occasional Papers in Biology 11: . 1940. Further studies on the opalinid ciliate 1-325. infusorians and their hosts. Proceedings of the Barus, V. 1972. Nematodes parasitizing hosts of the United States National Museum 87:465-634. genus Eleutherodactylus (Amphibia) from Cuba. Najarian, H. 1955. Trematodes parasitic in the Sal- Vestnik Ceskoslovenske Spolecnosti Zoologicke ientia in the vicinity of Ann Arbor, Michigan. 36:161-168. American Midland Naturalist 53:195-197. . 1973. Some remarks on the neotropical spe- Reiber, R. J. 1941. Nematodes of Amphibia and

Reptilia. I. Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee. Journal of Walton, A. C. 1940. Notes on amphibian parasites. the Tennessee Academy of Sciences 5:92-99. Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Smith, P. W. 1966. Hyla avivoca. Catalogue of Amer- Washington 7:87-91. ican Amphibians and Reptiles 28.1-28.2. . 1947. Parasites of the Hylidae (Amphibia- Trauth, S. E., and J. E. Robinette. 1990. Notes on Hylinae). VI. Transactions of the Illinois Academy the distribution, mating activity, and reproduction of Science 40:205-214. in the bird-voiced treefrog, Hyla avivoca, in Ar- . 1964. The parasites of Amphibia. Wildlife kansas. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological So- Diseases WD-63-4, on microcard. ciety 25:218-219.