Phyllomedusa 7(1):25-33, 2008 © 2008 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas - ESALQ - USP ISSN 1519-1397 Helminths from fifteen species of frogs (Anura, Hylidae) from Costa Rica Stephen R. Goldberg1 and Charles R. Bursey2 1 Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, California 90608, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. 2 Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, Shenango Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146, USA. Abstract Helminths from fifteen species of frogs (Anura, Hylidae) from Costa Rica. Fifteen species of Costa Rican hylid frogs were examined for helminths: Agalychnis annae, Agalychnis callidryas, Agalychnis spurrelli, Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Dendropso- phus phlebodes, Duellmanohyla uranochroa, Hylomantis lemur, Hypsiboas rosenbergi, Isthmohyla pictipes, Isthmohyla rivularis, Isthmohyla tica, Scinax elaeochrous, Smilisca phaeota, Smilisca sordida, Tlalocohyla loquax. The frogs were found to harbor twelve species of helminths including one species of Monogenea, (Polystoma naevius), two species of Digenea (Gorgoderina diaster and Mesocoelium monas), eight species of Nematoda (Cosmocerca podicipinus, Falcaustra costaricae, Ochoterenella digiticauda, Oswaldocruzia costaricensis, Oxyascaris mcdiarmidi, Rhabdias savagei, Physaloptera sp. and Acuariidae gen. sp.) and one species of Acanthocephala (Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi). Mean number of helminth species per infected host species was 2.7 ± 0.3 SE (range 1-5). Thirty-nine new host records are reported. Keywords: Anura, Hylidae, helminths, Monogenea, Digenea, Nematoda, Acantho- cephala, Costa Rica. Introduction Brooks (2004) described Parapharyngodon duniae from Phrynohyas venulosa (currently The helminth biodiversity of Neotropical Trachycephalus venulosus). Brooks et al. vertebrates is virtually unknown (Salgado- (2006) listed platyhelminth parasites from 6 Maldonado et al. 2000) and consequently little Costa Rican hylid species, Isthmohyla information is available on the helminths of lancasteri, Scinax boulengeri, Smilisca baudinii, Costa Rican hylid frogs. Helminths from seven Smilisca phaeota, Smilisca puma and anuran species from Costa Rica are listed in Trachycephalus venulosus. As part of an Rodrigues-Ortiz et al. (2003). Bursey and ongoing series of studies on this subject (Bursey and Goldberg 2005, 2006, 2007a,b, Bursey et al. 2001, Goldberg and Bursey 2008) reported Received 15 January 2008. helminths from an additional 18 anuran species Accepted 28 May 2008. from Costa Rica. Although some 133 anuran Distributed September 2008. Phyllomedusa - 7(1), September 2008 25 Goldberg and Bursey species are thought to occur in Costa Rica alimentary canals (esophagus to cloaca) were (Savage 2002), there are helminth records for slit longitudinally and examined under a only approximately one quarter of them. The dissecting microscope. The lungs, body cavity purpose of this paper is to report helminths in and urinary bladder of each individual frog 15 species of Costa Rican hylid frogs thereby were also examined. All helminths were placed increasing the database on helminths from in vials of 70% ethanol for later examination at tropical anurans. which time each helminth was placed on a glass slide in a drop of glycerol for study under a Materials and Methods compound microscope. Nematodes and acanthocephalans were identified from these Two hundred individuals representing 15 preparations, whereas trematodes were stained species of hylid frogs collected 1959-1990 in with hematoxylin and mounted in balsam for Costa Rica and accessioned in the Natural identification. Voucher helminths were History Museum of Los Angeles County deposited in the United States National Parasite (LACM), Los Angeles, California, were exa- Collection, USNPC, Beltsville, Maryland mined for helminths (descriptive statistics are (Table 1). Frog taxonomy is in accordance with given as means ± one standard deviation unless Frost et al. (2006) and parasite terminology is in otherwise noted): Agalychnis annae (N = 10) accordance with Bush et al. (1997). SVL = 54.7 mm ± 3.5, range: 47-58 mm; Agalychnis callidryas (N = 11) SVL = 45.9 mm Results ± 2.3, range: 42-50 mm; Agalychnis spurrelli (N = 10) SVL = 51.7 mm ± 8.8, range: 38-69 mm; We found 12 helminth species in the frogs Dendropsophus ebraccatus (N = 35) SVL = examined: one species of Monogenea, 24.9 mm ± 2.8, range: 22-33 mm; Den- (Polystomatidae), Polystoma naevius Caballero dropsophus phlebodes (N = 10) SVL = 22.7 and Cerecero, 1942, two species of Digenea, mm ± 2.1, range: 19-26 mm: Duellmanohyla (Gorgoderidae), Gorgoderina diaster Lutz, uranochroa (N = 5) SVL = 31.6 mm ± 1.5, 1926 and, (Brachycoeliidae), Mesocoelium range: 30-33 mm; Hylomantis lemur (N = 10) monas (Rudolphi, 1819), eight species of SVL = 32.2 mm ± 2.7, range: 30-39 mm; Nematoda, (Cosmocercidae), Cosmocerca Hypsiboas rosenbergi (N = 3) SVL = 62.3 mm podicipinus Baker and Vaucher, 1984, ± 2.1, range: 60-64 mm; Isthmohyla pictipes (N (Kathlaniidae), Falcaustra costaricae Bursey, = 15) SVL = 34.3 mm ± 2.3, range: 32-39 mm; Goldberg and Miller, 2004, (Onchocercidae), Isthmohyla rivularis (N = 15) SVL = 29.5 mm ± Ochoterenella digiticauda Caballero, 1944, 1.6, range: 27-32 mm; Isthmohyla tica (N = 11) (Molineidae), Oswaldocruzia costaricensis SVL = 32 mm ± 2.0, range: 30-37 mm; Scinax Bursey and Goldberg, 2005, (Cosmocercidae), elaeochrous (N = 30) SVL = 30.9 mm ± 1.9, Oxyascaris mcdiarmidi Bursey and Goldberg, range: 28-33 mm; Smilisca phaeota (N = 10) 2007, (Rhabdiasidae), Rhabdias savagei Bursey SVL =52.3 mm ± 8.2, range: 44-68 mm; Smi- and Goldberg, 2005, (Physalopteridae), Physa- lisca sordida (N = 10) SVL = 44.4 mm ± 8.9, loptera sp. (larvae) and (Acuariidae), Acuariidae range: 34-57 mm; Tlalocohyla loquax (N = 15) gen. sp. (larvae in cysts), and one species of SVL = 40.7 mm ± 1.4, range: 38-43 mm Acanthocephala, (Cavisomidae), Anuracan- (Appendix I). thorhynchus lutzi (Hamman, 1891) (Table 1). Frogs had been collected by hand, fixed in A total of 262 helminths was collected from 10% buffered formalin and preserved in 70% 71 (36%) of the 200 frogs examined. Of these, ethanol. The body cavities were opened by a 32 (12%) were larval forms not capable of longitudinal incision from throat to vent and the reaching maturity in anurans. Of the infected Phyllomedusa - 7(1), September 2008 26 Helminths from fifteen species of frogs (Anura, Hylidae) from Costa Rica Table 1 - Site of infection, number of helminths, prevalence, mean intensity, range of infection and USNPC accession numbers for voucher specimens of helminths taken from 15 species of Costa Rican hylid frogs. * = new host record. Host Site of Number Prevalence Mean intensity Range USNPC Helminth infection ± SD Accession number Agalychnis annae Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 7 2/10 20% 3.5 ± 0.7 3-4 98677 Rhabdias savagei* lung 1 1/10 10% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98678 Agalychnis callidryas Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 7 4/11 36% 1.8 ± 1.0 1-3 98679 Oswaldocruzia costaricensis* small intestine 6 3/11 27% 2.0 ± 1.0 1-3 98680 Physaloptera sp. (larva)* small intestine 2 2/11 18% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98682 Rhabdias savagei* lung 1 1/11 9% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98681 Agalychnis spurrelli Polystoma naevius* urinary bladder 2 2/10 20% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98683, 98684 Acuariidae gen. sp. (larva)* intestinal wall 9 3/10 30% 3.0 ± 2.7 1-6 98686 Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 3 2/10 20% 1.5 ± 0.7 1-2 98685 Dendropsophus ebraccatus Cosmocerca podicipinus* large and small intestine 3 3/35 9% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 99648 Falcaustra costaricae* small intestine 1 1/35 3% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 99649 Physaloptera sp. (larva)* stomach 2 2/35 6% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 99650 Dendropsophus phlebodes Falcaustra costaricae* small intestine 6 1/10 10% 6.0 ± 0.0 — 98749 Duellmanohyla uranochroa Acuariidae gen. sp. (larva)* coelom 1 1/5 20% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98688 Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi* small intestine 4 1/5 20% 4.0 ± 0.0 — 98687 Hylomantis lemur Rhabdias savagei* lung 3 3/10 30% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 99583 Hypsiboas rosenbergi Falcaustra costaricae* large intestine 3 1/3 33% 3.0 ± 0.0 — 99584 Isthmohyla pictpes Gorgoderina diaster* urinary bladder 6 5/15 33% 1.2 ± 0.5 1-2 98750 Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 11 6/15 40% 1.8 ± 1.0 1-3 98751 Oxyascaris mcdiarmidi* large intestine 9 4/15 27% 2.3 ± 1.9 1-5 98752 Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi* small intestine 5 5/15 33% 1.0 ± 0.0 —- 98753 Isthmohyla rivularis Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 32 7/15 47% 4.6 ± 4.7 1-14 98754 Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi* small intestine 1 1/15 7% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98755 Isthmohyla tica Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 1 1/10 10% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98756 Rhabdias savagei* lung 3 1/10 10% 3.0 ± 0.0 — 98757 Phyllomedusa - 7(1), September 2008 27 Goldberg and Bursey Table 1 - continued. Host Site of Number Prevalence Mean intensity Range USNPC Helminth infection ± SD Accession number Scinax elaeochrous Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 5 2/30 7% 2.5 ± 2.1 1-4 99651 Oswaldocruzia costaricensis* small intestine 1 1/30 3% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 99652 Acuariidae gen. sp. (larva)* stomach wall 18 1/30 3% 18.0 ± 0.0 — 99653 Smilisca phaeota Polystoma naevius urinary bladder 1 1/10 10% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98764 Mesocoelium monas* small intestine 2 2/10 20% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98763 Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 25 5/10 50% 5.0 ± 5.3 1-14 98765 Oswaldocruzia costaricensis* small intestine 11 2/10 20% 5.5 ± 4.9 2-9 98766 Rhabdias savagei* lung 1 1/10 10% 1.0 ± 0.0 — 98767 Smilisca sordida Mesocoelium monas* small intestine 1 1/10 10% 1.0 ± 0.0 — — Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 7 2/10 20% 3.5 ± 0.7 3-4 98768 Falcaustra costaricae* small intestine 17 4/10 40% 4.3 ± 2.5 1-7 98769 Ochoterenella digiticauda* coelom 27 5/10 50% 5.4 ± 2.4 2-8 98770 Tlalocohyla loquax Cosmocerca podicipinus* large intestine 3 2/15 13% 1.5 ± 0.7 1-2 98746 Falcaustra costaricae* large intestine 5 2/15 13% 2.5 ± 2.1 1-4 98747 Rhabdias savagei* lung 6 1/15 7% 6.0 ± 0.0 — 98748 frogs, 50 individuals (70%) harbored one Discussion species of helminth, 18 (25%) harbored two species and three (4%) harbored three species.