Paracooperia horaki n.sp. (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae) from the nyala Tragelaphus angasi Gray, 1849.

Abstract

A new species of Paracooperia Travassos, 1935 was found in small numbers in the small intestines of 36 out of 68 nyala Tragelaphus angasi Gray 1849 in the Mkuzi, Ndumu and Umfolozi Game Reserves, Natal. The worms, for which the name Paracooperia horaki is proposed, can be differentiated from the closely related Paracooperia devossi Boomker & Kingsley, 1984 by the absence of ridges on 1 of the branches of the spicules, the slightly longer branches of the tips of the dorsal ray and the large hemispheric knobs on the ends of the spicules. Furthermore, the branch of the spicules that bears the hook-like process is about two thirds the length of the spicule in P. devossi and almost the entire length of the spicule in P. horaki. The ovigerous females of P. horaki have 2 or 3 expanded ridges in front of the vulva that form vulvar flaps. The females without eggs resemble those of P. devossi and have only a single vulvar flap.