View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa Helminths of Ten Species of Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Papua New Guinea, with Comparisons between Immigrant and Endemic Geckos1 Stephen R. Goldberg,2,5 Charles R. Bursey,3 and Fred Kraus4 Abstract: Two hundred three individuals representing 10 species of gekkonid lizards from Papua New Guinea collected from 2002 to 2005 were examined for helminths: Cyrtodactylus epiroticus ðn ¼ 2Þ, C. klugei ðn ¼ 2Þ, C. loriae ðn ¼ 7Þ, C. novaeguineae ðn ¼ 3Þ, C. sermowaiensis ðn ¼ 30Þ, Gehyra mutilata ðn ¼ 22Þ, G. oceanica ðn ¼ 27Þ, Gekko vittatus ðn ¼ 41Þ, Hemidactylus frenatus ðn ¼ 29Þ,and Lepidodactylus lugubris ðn ¼ 40Þ. One species of Digenea, one species of Cestoda, 18 species of Nematoda, as well as three taxa of nematode larvae (in cysts) were found. Thirty-one new host records and six new locality (¼ country) records are reported. Prevalence in endemic geckos was significantly higher than in non- endemic geckos. The family Gekkonidae has an almost research/pbs/papuanherps/. The last five spe- worldwide distribution and is well repre- cies have previously been reported to harbor sented in the Papuan Region, where 47 helminths (Kreis 1938, Bursey and Goldberg species have been reported (Papuan Herpeto- 1996, Goldberg and Bursey 1997, 2000a, fauna 2008). The purpose of this paper is 2001, Goldberg et al. 1998, 2000). Compari- to establish an initial helminth list for the sons are made between helminths present in Papuan endemics Cyrtodactylus epiroticus, immigrant versus endemic geckos. Cyrtodactylus klugei, Cyrtodactylus loriae, Cyrto- dactylus novaeguineae, and Cyrtodactylus sermo- materials and methods waiensis and provide additional helminth occurrences for Gehyra mutilata, Gehyra oce- Two hundred three individuals representing anica, Gekko vittatus, Hemidactylus frenatus, 10 species of gekkonid lizards from Papua and Lepidodactylus lugubris. Range maps for New Guinea collected from 2002 to 2005 these host geckos in Papua New Guinea are (Appendix 1) were examined for helminths: available at http://www.bishopmuseum.org/ Cyrtodactylus epiroticus ðn ¼ 2Þ, C. klugei ðn ¼ 2Þ, C. loriae ðn ¼ 7Þ, C. novaeguineae ðn ¼ 3Þ, 1 This research was supported by National Science C. sermowaiensis ðn ¼ 30Þ, Gehyra mutilata Foundation grant DEB 0103794. This is contribution ðn ¼ 22Þ, G. oceanica ðn ¼ 27Þ, Gekko vittatus 2009-004 from the Pacific Biological Survey at the ðn ¼ 41Þ, Hemidactylus frenatus ðn ¼ 29Þ, and Bishop Museum. Manuscript accepted 19 April 2009. Lepidodactylus lugubris ðn ¼ 40Þ. Immediately 2 Department of Biology, Whittier College, Whittier, California 90608. after capture geckos were killed by an over- 3 Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State Uni- dose of sodium pentobarbital, fixed in neu- versity, Shenango Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146 tral buffered 10% formalin, stored in 70% (e-mail: [email protected]). ethanol, and accessioned in the herpetology 4 Bishop Museum, Department of Natural Sciences, collection of the Bishop Museum (bpbm), 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 (e-mail: [email protected]). Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Subsequently, the body 5 Corresponding author (e-mail: sgoldberg@whittier cavity was opened by a longitudinal abdomi- .edu). nal incision and the gastrointestinal tract was removed by cutting across the esophagus and the rectum, and then shipped in a vial of alco- Pacific Science (2010), vol. 64, no. 1:131–139 doi: 10.2984/64.1.131 hol to Whittier College, Whittier, California, : 2010 by University of Hawai‘i Press where a detailed dissection of each tract was All rights reserved carried out using a dissecting microscope. 131 132 PACIFIC SCIENCE . January 2010 Helminths from individual hosts were re- than eight species (mean number of helminth moved to vials of 70% ethanol and later species per host species was 4.1 G 2.2; range placed under a coverslip in a drop of lacto- 1–8), and no individual host harbored more phenol and allowed to clear. Nematodes were than four helminth species (mean number identified from these preparations. Digeneans of helminth species per infected gecko was and cestodes were washed in water, regres- 1.5 G 0.8 SD; range 1–4). Of the 69 infected sively stained in hematoxylin, and mounted geckos, 46 (67%) harbored one helminth spe- in balsam for identification under a com- cies, 15 (22%) harbored two species, 6 (9%) pound microscope. Although the helminths harbored three species, and two (3%) har- examined in this study were originally fixed bored four species. Number of individuals in situ with formalin, each species exhibits for each species and prevalence (number of unique characters that easily allow proper infected hosts/number of hosts examined  identification; no previously undescribed hel- 100) as well as 29 new host and six new local- minth species was found. Voucher specimens ity (¼ country) records are recorded in Table were deposited in the United States Na- 1. usnpc tional Parasite Collection ( ), Beltsville, discussion Maryland, and the Bishop Museum (bpbm), Honolulu, Hawai‘i (Appendix 2). Parasite ter- The digenean Allopharynx macallisteri was minology is in accordance with Bush et al. originally described from Lepidodactylus lugub- (1997). Chi-square analysis, Morisita’s index, ris collected on Guam, Mariana Islands (Dai- and percentage similarity were used to com- ley et al. 1998). It has also been reported from pare infections between endemic versus L. lugubris collected on Rota, Mariana Is- nonendemic geckos (Brower et al. 1998, Ma- lands (Goldberg et al. 1998), and Cyrtodactylus gurran 2004). triparticus (then C. louisiadensis) from Papua New Guinea (Bursey et al. 2005a). results The cestode Oochoristica javaensis was orig- inally described from specimens taken from A total of 635 helminths was collected from the small intestines of the geckos Hemidac- 69 (34%) of 205 geckos. Of these, 413 (65%) tylus platyurus (then Cosymbotus platyurus), were mature individuals representing one Gehyra mutilata, and Hemidactylus frenatus species of Digenea (Allopharynx macallisteri), collected in Java (Kennedy et al. 1982) and one species of Cestoda (Oochoristica javaensis), has also been reported from Gehyra oceanica and 15 species of Nematoda (Aplectana macin- and Lepidodactylus paurolepis in the Pacific toshi, Maxvachonia adamsoni, Cosmocerca zugi, realm (see Goldberg and Bursey [2002] for Maxvachonia chabaudi, Meteterakis crombiei, locality records) as well as from Sphenomor- Moaciria chondropythonis, Moaciria moraveci, phus jobiensis from Papua New Guinea (Bur- Oswaldocruzia bakeri, Parapharyngodon maples- sey et al. 2005b). toni, Pharyngodon novaeguineae, Pharyngodon Six (33%) of the 18 nematodes found in oceanicus, Pseudorictularia dispsarilis, Skrjabine- this study are currently known only from Pa- lazia machidai, Spauligodon gehyrae, Spauligo- pua New Guinea (i.e., Cosmocerca zugi, Maxva- don hemidactylus). Pseudorictularia dispsarilis chonia adamsoni, Meteterakis crombiei, Moaciria occurred in the stomach; Allopharynx macallis- chondropythonis, M. moraveci, and Pharyngodon teri, Oochoristica javaensis, and Skrjabinelazia novaeguineae). Host lists for these species are machidai were found in the small intestine. given in Table 2. One of the 18 species, Pseu- All other helminths were found in the large dorictularia disparilis, is currently known only intestines. In total 222 (35%) were immature from the Australo-Papuan Region. It was forms (Abbreviata sp., Ascarops sp., and Acuari- originally described as Rictularia disparilis idae gen. sp.) represented by larvae in cysts in from specimens taken from a skink, Pseude- the stomach wall. moia entrecasteauxi (formerly Lygosoma entre- Although 20 species of helminths occurred casteauxi), collected in Australia by Irwin- in the sample, no host species harbored more Smith (1922) but reassigned to its current TABLE 1 Number of Individuals (N), Prevalence (%), New Host Record (*), and New Locality (¼ Country) Record (y) for Helminths in 10 Species of Geckos from Papua New Guinea Hemidactylus frenatus Lepidodactylus lugubris Cyrtodactylus epiroticus Cyrtodactylus klugei Cyrtodactylus loriae Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis Cyrtodactylus novaeguineae Gehyra mutilata Gehyra oceanica Gekko vittatus Helminth Taxa N % N % N % N % N % N % N % N % N % N % Digenea Allopharynx macallisteri Dailey, Goldberg & — — —— ———*82—112 Bursey, 1998 Cestoda Oochoristica javaensis Kennedy, Killick & — — — — — — — *7 7 26 14 — Beverley-Burton, 1982 Nematoda Aplectana macintoshi (Stewart, 1914) — *16 100 — *91 55 — — — — — — Cosmocerca zugi Goldberg, Bursey & — — —*13—————— Kraus, 2005 Maxvachonia adamsoni Moravec & Sey, —*150———————*12 1990 yMaxvachonia chabaudi Mawson, 1972 — — — *6 10 — — — 4 7 — — Meteterakis crombiei Bursey, Goldberg & — *3 100 — *28 10 — — — — — — Kraus, 2005 Moaciria chondropythonis Gibbons, 1979 — — *1 14 — — — — — — — Moaciria moraveci Goldberg, Bursey & — — —*26—————— Kraus, 2007 Oswaldocruzia bakeri Moravec & Sey, — — —— ——*14——— 1986 Parapharyngodon maplestoni Chatterji, 1933 — *2 50 — *9 13 — — — *2 2 — — Pharyngodon novaeguineae Bursey, Goldberg & *125 50 — — — *26 33 — — — — — Kraus, 2008 yPharyngodon oceanicus Bursey & Goldberg, — — —— ——34——— 1999 134 PACIFIC SCIENCE . January 2010 TABLE 1 (continued) Hemidactylus frenatus Lepidodactylus lugubris Cyrtodactylus epiroticus Cyrtodactylus klugei Cyrtodactylus loriae Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis Cyrtodactylus novaeguineae Gehyra mutilata