NEIHPID

Cosmocercella sp. Back

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Taxonomy

Nematoda »
        SECERNENTEA »
              Cosmocercidae (Railliet, 1916) Travassos, 1925 »
                     Cosmocercinae Railliet, 1916 »
                            Cosmocercella (Steiner, 1924) »
                                    Cosmocercella sp.

Host

Polypedates (leucomystax), Rhacophorus (maximus (=R. nigropalmatus))

Habitat

Intestine

Locality

Mokokchung (Nagaland)

Description

Small or medium sized worms; cuticular striations present. Mouth simple with 3 lips, clearly separated sub-globulate bulb with definite valvular apparatus. Intestinal diverticulum absent. Lateral alae absent.

Male

Body 3.61 x 0.161 mm. Spicule2, equal or sub-equal, relatively long tail tapering to a sharp point behind cloaca and curved ventrally; claocal alae absent. Papillae rosette; 11 pairs, ventro-lateral in position; 1 pair in line of cloaca, 2 pairs post-cloacal, 1 pair ventro-lateral, 1 pair lateral in position; 4 pairs of non-rosette papillae positioned near tip of tail, 2 pairs ventro-lateral, 2 pairs dorso-lateral.

Female

Body 3.31-3.35 x 0.13 mm. Ovaries 2, uteri didelphic, vulva equatorial, tail not modified, tapering to pointed end. Ovoviviparous, eggs few, large, without filaments, 0.150 x 0.100 mm.

Remarks

On account of the male having rosette papillae in the caudal region raised on surface of clear vesicle, eggs few in number, large (more than 100 mm) without filaments, the present form is relegated to the genus Cosmocercella.

For want of more specimens , the identification of the present form up to the species level is being kept in abeyance. The occurrence of Cosmocercella sp. from Amphibia in Nagaland forms a new representation of the genus in India and the host species Rhacophorus nigropalmatus, a new host record.

Helminthological collections record

NEHU/Z - NA/7