Egyptian Journal of Zoology (EJZ), Vol. 72: 1-10 (December, 2019) p-ISSN: 1110-6344 Publisher: The Zoological Society of A. R. Egypt e-ISSN: 2682-3160 DOI: 10.12816/ejz.2019.13977.1011 RESEARCH ARTICLE NEW RECORD OF ABBREVIATA LEPTOSOMA GERVAIS, 1848 (SPIRURIDA: PHYSALOPTERIDAE) INFECTION IN TWO SPECIES OF LIZARDS IN NORTH AND SOUTH SINAI, EGYPT Samar F. Harras*; Rasha A. Elmahy Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Gharbia, Egypt ABSTRACT Article History: Studies on parasitic nematode infection in lizards are rare, Received: 23 June 2019 and the available literature on their accurate morphological Revised: 17 July 2019 description especially by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is Accepted: 23 July 2019 lacking. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to identify new Published Online: records of nematode parasites infecting Agamidae lizards, which 2 August 2019 are widely distributed in North and South Sinai; this entails Keywords: giving a full morphological picture using light microscopy and Abbreviata leptosoma SEM. Seventeen samples of Trapelus mutabilis and ten samples Egyptian lizards of Pseudotrapelus sinaitus (collected from North and South Electron microscope Sinai) were dissected and examined for their nematode parasitic Light microscope Morphological description infection. Adult nematodes were collected from the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, identified, and fully *Correspondence: described using light microscopy and SEM. Abbreviata Samar Harras leptosoma was collected for the first time from Egyptian Zoology Department, Faculty T. mutabilis and P. sinaitus in a prevalence of 11.8% and 30.0% of Science, Tanat University Gharbia, Egypt with mean intensity ± standard deviation equals 8.5±7.8 and E-mail: 4.3±3.2, respectively. A. leptosoma was identified based on the [email protected]. morphological characteristics of both male and female including edu.eg the cephalic denticulation with 5-8 elements between submedian teeth and lateral tooth, absence of denticulate crest at the dorsal and ventral angles of the mouth, presences of two branched uteri and very unequal dissimilar spicules. The study gives a full SEM description of A. leptosoma. Thus, North and South Sinai are considered as new geographical localities for A. leptosoma infecting Agamidae lizards. INTRODUCTION Trapelus has a broad distribution across Relatively little information is available North Africa into the Middle East to Asia. worldwide on the parasitic fauna of Trapelus genus is characterized by short, reptiles compared to other vertebrates[1,2], thick heads deeply sunken tympana and and rarely explored in lizards in respect few spiny scales above their ear opening[4]. of its taxonomic aspects[3]. One of the most Five species occur in northern Africa: abundant and widespread reptile species in T. mutabilis, T. pallidus in Egypt, T. schmitzi Africa belongs to family Agamidae, which in Algeria and Niger, T. tournevillei in represented by five genera. The genus Algeria and Tunisia, and T. savignii at the 1 Morphological study of A. leptosoma from Egyptian lizards east of the Nile River[4,5]. T. pallidus was and two double submedian teeth on each considered a junior synonym of T. mutabilis, pseudolabium[13]. Usually the entire margin but regarded again as a valid species by of pseudolabia is dentate. Morgan[13] listed other scientists[6,7] who pointed out the 27 species belonging to Abbreviata genus: differences in morphology, coloration, seventeen are used reptiles as definitive behaviour, and habitat of these species, and hosts, nine are harboured by mammals, mentioned that T. pallidus occurs entirely in while the remaining one is found in various east of the Nile, whereas T. mutabilis occurs frogs and toads. Also, he provided a host- in west of the Nile. T. pallidus differs from parasite list arranged by orders and families T. mutabilis in having a matrix of to facilitate a comprehensive view of host- comparatively uniform smooth dorsal scales parasite relationships. This list added an with some scattered longer ridged scales[4]. important taxonomic character based on In contrast, T. mutabilis has heterogamous the number and mode of origin of the dorsal scalation with scattered enlarged uterine branches in the female worm, being scales[4]. Nowadays, the reptile database 2-4 branches in reptilian host and 4 or more considered T. pallidus as a synonym to in mammalian hosts[13]. [8] T. mutabilis . However, Pseudotrapelus Host-parasite relationship remains poorly sinaitus is a widely distributed Agamidae described in lizard of Egypt in spite of lizard in the Middle East including Egypt[6,9]. the fact that full morphological studies of P. sinaitus was considered monotypic their helminthic parasites are very important species; its adult male is characterized by to complete the gap of knowledge in depressed body, compressed tail base, and taxonomy[14]. So, the aim of the present special coloration, as well as head dorsum study was to identify and give detailed and tail are bright blue, throat is blue, and examination of new records of nematode the ventral side of the tail is white[10]. species collected from both T. mutabilis Physalopteridae nematode family and P. sinaitus lizards of North and South includes three subfamilies: Physalopterinae Sinai, Saint Catherine, Egyptian desert by and Thubunaeinae infecting mainly reptile both light microscope and scanning electron (absent in fish), while the third one is microscope (SEM). Proleptinae, is common in fish (absent in reptiles)[11]. The accurate identification of MATERIAL AND METHODS Physalopterinae species can only be made Twenty seven lizards (Reptilia: Agamidae) based on the characteristics possessed by were examined for parasitic infection, both males and females in the following seventeen from North Sinai (30°36'51''N, order of their importance: cephalic end, 33°43'18''E) and ten from South Sinai, number of uteri, number and arrangement Saint Catherine (28°33'23''N, 33°58'28''E) of male ventral papillae, shape and length areas. The collected hosts were anesthetized of spicules, and position of vulva[12]. using chloroform. The gastrointestinal tracts Physalopteric nematodes were divided into were removed in 0.7% saline solution four genera: Physaloptera, Abbreviata, and each part was examined separately. Skrjabinoptera, and Pseudophysaloptera. At Nematodes that found in the stomach the beginning of 21 century, Anderson[11] and anterior part of small intestine added other three related genera: Pseudo- were collected. Live specimens were abbreviata, Turgida, and Pentadentoptera. washed in physiological saline and fixed The genus Abbreviata was limited to (relaxed) in warm 70% ethanol with Physalopteric nematodes with two uteri, 10% glycerol. Specimens were cleared in four pairs of pedunculated papillae, and lactophenol then mounted in glycerine jelly dissimilar spicules. The generic description for light microscope examination and was revised to include species that carry one identification. Specimens were measured externolateral tooth, one internolateral tooth, and examined using Olympus CX31 2 Harras, S. F.; Elmahy, R. A. microscope (Tokyo, Japan) and Zeiss the mouth. Along the inner surface of the Stemi 2000-C microscope (Oberkochen, lips, there are small delicate denticles Germany), and representative photomicro- (5-8 elements) between the submedian teeth graphs were taken with E-330DC 7.4V and the lateral tooth. Two sessile cephalic digital camera. Drawings were made with papillae and one small amphid are also the aid of camera Lucida. found on the external surface of each For SEM, specimens were collected pseudolabium. The oesophagus is divided carefully and washed in isotonic saline into a short muscular part, broad anteriorly solution, followed by phosphate-buffered and surrounded by a nerve ring, followed by saline, and fixed overnight in 3% a long glandular part (wider than muscular glutaraldehyde in 0.1 mol phosphate buffer portion). Excretory pore is at a short distance (pH 7.4) at 4°C. Specimens were post posterior to origin of glandular oesophagus fixed in 1% osmium tetraoxide then (Figures 2a and 3b). dehydrated through graded series of The length of male A. leptosoma ethanol. Dehydration was performed in two (five specimens) is 3.51-7.25 mm; width at changes of absolute ethanol and critical level of oesophago-intestinal junction is point dried. Specimens were mounted on 0.27-0.4 mm. Oesophagus is 1.42-1.65 mm stubs, coated with gold, and examined with in total length and 0.13-0.19 mm in width. a JEOL 5300-JSM SEM (Tokyo, Japan) at Nerve ring is 0.12-0.18 mm from anterior an accelerating voltage of 25 K.V. The extremity. Caudal alae are well developed identification follows Anderson et al.[15] and and extend just beyond tip of the tail; Gibbons[16] keys. they appear not to meet anteriorly. Alae are supported by four pairs of long, pedunculate, RESULTS and precloacal papillae; of which the second From three out of ten P. sinaitus and pair is the longest. Another type of ventral from two out of seventeen T. mutabilis cloacal papillae are sessile; two pairs are examined for gastrointestinal parasitic postcloacal (immediately posterior to cloaca) infection, thirty samples of A. leptosoma and three are precloacal (one pair is antero- belonging to family Physalopteridae were lateral and one median papilla, immediately identified and morphologically described situated anterior to cloaca). Three pairs of by light and SEM (Figures 1-3). The body short pedunculate or sessile caudal papillae of A. leptosoma is elongated (Figure 1a); are found; of which central pair is closer the cuticle has fine transverse striations to anterior pair. Ventral surface of tail and dome-shaped head slightly set off and ventral median surface of alae are from the rest of the body (Figure 3). Mouth lined by tubercles that originate anterior to is surrounded by two large pseudolabia; cloaca and run posteriorly in more or less narrow laterally and elongated dorso- longitudinal rows, converging on cloaca, and ventrally almost to maximum width of extending in parallel rows to level of worm, each bears one distinct apical posterior-most caudal papillae.