Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 82: 453-464, 2011 Systematics of the genus Gnathostoma (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) in the Americas Sistemática del género Gnathostoma (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) en América Florencia Bertoni-Ruiz, Marcos Rafael Lamothe y Argumedo, Luis García-Prieto*, David Osorio-Sarabia and Virginia León-Régagnon1 Laboratorio de Helmintología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado postal 70-153, 04510 México D.F., México. 1Estación de Biología Chamela, Sede Colima, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Apartado postal 21, 48980 San Patricio, Jalisco, México. *Correspondent:
[email protected] Abstract. To date, more than 20 species of the genus Gnathostoma have been described as parasites of mammals, 9 of them in the Americas. However, the taxonomic status of some of these species has been questioned. The main goal of this study is to clarify the validity of the American species included in the genus. In order to complete this objective, we analyze type and/or voucher specimens of all these species deposited in 6 scientific collections, through morphometric and ultrastructural studies. Based on diagnostic traits as host specificity, site of infection, body size, cuticular spines, presence of 1 or 2 bulges in the polar ends of eggs, as well as eggshell and caudal bursa morphology, we re-establish Gnathostoma socialis (Leidy, 1858) and confirm the validity of other 6 species:Gnathostoma turgidum Stossich, 1902, Gnathostoma americanum Travassos, 1925, Gnathostoma procyonis Chandler, 1942, Gnathostoma miyazakii Anderson, 1964, Gnathostoma binucleatum Almeyda-Artigas, 1991, and Gnathostoma lamothei Bertoni-Ruiz, García-Prieto, Osorio-Sarabia and León-Règagnon, 2005. Gnathostoma didelphis Chandler, 1932 and Gnathostoma brasiliensis Ruiz, 1952 are considered synonyms of G.