Redescription of some Spauligodon spp. and Parapharyngodon spp., and of Skrjabinodon mabuyae (Sandground, 1936) Inglis, 1968 (Pharyngodonidae: Oxyuroidea) from insectivorous South African lizards

Abstract

As part of a study on the helminth parasites of South African lizards several species of saurians were collected from localities in the North West Province, the Northern Province, Mpumalanga Province and Gauteng Province.Spauligodon blydeensis (Hering-Hagenbeck, 2001) from the Cape thick-toed gecko, Pachydactylus capensis, Spauligodon molopoensis, (Hering-Hagenbeck, 2001) from Wahlberg's velvet gecko, Homopholis wahlbergii, Parapharyngodon margaritiferi, Hering-Hagenbeck, 2001 from the skink, Mabuya margaritifer, Parapharyngodon gerrhosauri, Hering-Hagenbeck, 2001 from the plated lizard, Gerrhosaurus flavigularis and Skrjabinodon mabuyae (Sandground, 1936) Inglis, 1968 from the skinks Mabuya punctatissima, Mabuya spilogaster and Mabuya varia are redescribed. The different Spauligodon spp. in the subcontinent may be separated on the presence or absence of spicules in the males, the presence or absence of spines on the tail of both the males and females, as well as on the size and shape of the eggs, and the configuration of the polar caps. The Parapharyngodon spp. are distinguished mainly by the morphological characters of the males, such as the width of the caudal alae and the size of the pre- and adanal papillae. Female Parapharyngodon spp. closely resemble each other and some could not be identified to the species level since males were absent. Spinose larvae, together with adult Parapharyngodon spp. were recovered from Mabuya margaritifer. All Parapharyngodon spp. larvae described to date are spinose and since the larvae in this study were collected together with adult Parapharyngodon spp., we consider them to belong to the same genus. Skrjabinodon mabuyae differs from the closely related Skrjabinodon mabuiensis in the presence of a spicule in the male and lateral alae in the female. The former nematode is described for the first time from skinks in South Africa.