Myxobolus enoblei has previously been reported from the gills of smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, although to date no supplemental molecular data are available. As such, identification is based solely on morphological characters, which can be ambiguous. Herein we supplement detailed morphological analysis with molecular data (18S ribosomal RNA gene sequence). Myxospores were spherical (measurements in micrometers and presented as mean ± SD followed by range in parentheses), 14.2 ± 0.5 (13.4–15.0) in length, 12.1 ± 0.5 (11.3–13.0) in width, and 7.3 ± 0.4 (6.8–8.0) thick. There were 2 pyriform polar capsules, 7.6 ± 0.3 (7.0–8.0) in length and 4.1 ± 0.2 (3.6–4.6) in width with 6–7 turns in the coiled polar filament. When compared to other Myxobolus spp. from catostomid fish, the morphological characters of the isolate were consistent with Myxobolus enoblei, originally characterized from the gills of smallmouth buffalo from Illinois, U.S.A. A BLASTn search of the 18S rRNA gene resulted in no identical matches to any available sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's GenBank. Phylogenetic assessment placed M. enoblei within a clade containing other myxozoans of catostomid fish in North America, supporting previous research that suggests that host family can be a strong phylogenetic signal for myxozoans. Moving forward, these sequence data will offer confirmatory diagnosis to supplement comparisons to morphologically similar myxozoan species from similar hosts in addition to providing data for use in future studies attempting to identify the actinospore stage and definitive oligochaete host.

River cooters (Pseudemys concinna [Le Conte, 1830]) from the Pascagoula River (30°37′07.67″N; 88°36′44.53″W; Mississippi, U.S.A.) were infected by Spirorchis scripta Stunkard, 1923, and Spirorchis testiplexus n. sp. The new species resembles Spirorchis artericola (Ward, 1921) Stunkard, 1921, and Spirorchis innominatus Ward, 1921 (type species), by having a median esophageal diverticulum, ceca that extend slightly posterior to the genitalia, 10 testes, and a testicular column that extends anteriad to near the cecal bifurcation. Based on a comparative morphological study of existing type materials, vouchers, and published descriptions of similar congeners, S. testiplexus is unique by the combination of having a proportionally wider body, laterally directed cecal diverticula, deeply lobed testes, a testicular column that fills the intercecal space, and an external seminal vesicle that occupies the space between the posterior-most testis and the ovary and that passes dorsal or dorsolateral to the ovary. The large-subunit rDNA (28S) Bayesian inference phylogenetic analysis (including 16 turtle blood fluke species of 7 genera) showed a strongly supported monophyletic Spirorchis MacCallum, 1918, grouping sister to Spirhapalum siamensis Tkach, Snyder, and Vaughn, 2009.

Specimens of the tipulid (cranefly) larvae Tipula (Pterelachisas) sp. Rondani (n = 118) were recovered from rotting logs in 2 forests of central Ohio from 2011 to 2016. Examination of the posterior intestine revealed the presence of the thelastomatid nematode Cephalobellus brevicaudatus (Leidy, 1851) Christie, 1933. This finding constitutes the first North American record for the parasite in a dipteran larva and the first Nearctic report of this species since 1851. First morphological data for the males from North America are provided, and voucher ribosomal DNA sequences for C. brevicaudatus and for the hosts were compiled.

As a part of an amphibian survey from 2003 to 2010, specimens of leopard frogs (27 Rana cf. forreri and 15 Rana brownorum) from the state of Chiapas, Mexico, were collected and examined for helminths. Thirteen helminth species were collected from R. cf. forreri: 5 trematodes and 8 nematodes; the most prevalent helminth species was the nematode Cosmocerca parva and the most abundant was Proteocephalidae gen. sp. Eleven helminth species were collected from R. brownorum: 3 trematodes, 7 nematodes, and 1 acanthocephalan; the most prevalent species were Haematoloechus sp., Rhabdias cf. sphaerocephala, and Oxyascaris sp., and the most abundant was R. cf. sphaerocephala. Hosts in this study shared 3 helminth species: Haematoloechus sp., Oxyascaris sp., and Foleyellides striatus.

A new species of Asymphylodora (Trematoda: Lissorchiidae) is described from the intestine of a bata (Labeo bata) collected from the Sharda Canal in Biswan (Sitapur), state of Uttar Pradesh, India. This is the fifth species of Asymphylodora named in India and the largest specimens reported from India (other than Asymphylodora indica, Asymphylodora kedarai, Asymphylodora ritai, and Asymphylodora punctatusi). It is also the second largest known in the genus next to Asymphylodora atherinopsidis. Members of the new species are similar to A. kedarai and A. punctatusi in that they possess the genital pore and cirrus on the right side of body rather than left as in the other species in world. In the new species the prepharynx is well developed, the esophagus is longer, the ceca extend posterior to the end of the testis, the size of testis is much larger, the vitellaria extend to near the anterior end of the ovary, there are both a spiny cirrus and a metraterm, and the body is longer than in both A. kedarai and A. punctatusi. Moreover, specimens of new species possess an ovary overlapping the anterodorsal margin of the testis rather than a pretesticular ovary as in A. punctatusi, and the sucker width ratio differs (1:0.90 in the newly described species versus 1:0.84 in A. punctatusi). The newly described species can be distinguished from A. kedarai by the presence of an undivided unipartite seminal vesicle and in relation to sucker width ratio (1:1.55 in A. kedarai). This is the first report of a species in the genus Asymphylodora from L. bata. Diagnosis for the genus is amended.

Surveys of freshwater fishes of India were carried out during the period 2011–2017. Members of the species of the genus Prosorhynchoides Dollfus, 1929 (Digenea: Bucephalidae) infect the intestine of freshwater and marine fishes. Prosorhynchoides fusiformis (Verma, 1936) Srivastava and Chauhan, 1973, Prosorhynchoides garuai (Verma, 1936) Srivastava and Chauhan, 1973, Prosorhynchoides karvei (Bhalerao, 1937) Srivastava and Chauhan, 1973, and Prosorhynchoides thapari (Dayal, 1948) Bott and Cribb, 2005, are redescribed from the intestine of some freshwater fishes of India. In this paper we also review the taxonomic status of Indian freshwater Prosorhynchoides spp. We transfer Prosorhynchoides macronius and Prosorhynchoides bagarius (previous name Neobucephalopsis bagarius) to P. fusiformis and accordingly revise the status of other Neobucephalopsis spp. We also transfer Prosorhynchoides sinhai, Prosorhynchoides eutropiichthis, and Prosorhynchoides mauryai (previous name Neobucephalopsis garuai) to P. garuai and consider Prosorhynchoides magnum (Verma, 1936) Srivastava and Chauhan, 1973, as a valid species. We transfer Prosorhynchoides pseudeutropei, Prosorhynchoides aspinosiensis, Prosorhynchoides mehrai, Prosorhynchoides confusus, and Prosorhynchoides minimus, including previous host records, to P. magnum, as these organisms are all similar in their position of organs and are similar in size. In revision, we transfer Prosorhynchoides belonea, Prosorhynchoides lateroporus, Prosorhynchoides gaurii, Prosorhynchoides chauhani, Prosorhynchoides canciliansis, and Neobucephalopsis (Prosorhynchoides) jhansiansis to P. karvei. We consider P. thapari as a valid species and transfer Prosorhynchoides gauhatiensis to P. thapari. A Y-shaped excretory vesicle is absent in adults of Prosorhynchoides spp. reported from India. The Gomti River, India, is a new locality record for both P. fusiformis and P. garuai. Freshwater Batchwa vacha (Eutropiichthys vacha) is a new host record for P. karvei and P. thapari. A key to distinguish adults of nominal Indian freshwater Prosorhynchoides spp. is included.

Falcaustra congoensis n. sp. (Ascaridida, Kathlaniidae) from the large intestine of Amietia nutti (Boulenger, 1896) (Anura, Pyxicephalidae) is described and illustrated. Falcaustra congoensis represents the 16th Afrotropical species assigned to the genus and is distinguished from other Aftrotropical species by the distribution pattern of the caudal papillae (6 precloacal, 2 adcloacal, 14 postcloacal, and 1 median), length of spicules (0.33–0.38 mm), and presence of 1 pseudosucker. Amietia nutti was found to harbor 1 additional species of Nematoda, adults of Amphibiophilus chabaudi. Amietia nutti represents a new host record for each of these helminth species.

We examined 822 Jollyville Plateau Salamanders, Eurycea tonkawae, from Williamson and Travis counties, Texas, U.S.A., for endoparasites. Because this species is protected, we used a minimally invasive technique to visualize and obtain encapsulated parasites. Three salamanders (0.37%) were found to be harboring metacercaria of a Clinostomum species. We identified these digeneans as belonging to C. marginatum based on morphological characteristics and supporting molecular analyses. This is the first peer-reviewed published report of any parasite from this federally threatened salamander.

An Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836) was collected in a forested area near the town of Thakhek, Laos. Inspection of the lizard revealed that it had a subcutaneous lump on its abdomen, which was determined to be caused by a nymph of the pentastome Kiricephalus pattoni (Stephens, 1908). Although H. frenatus has been recorded as a host of K. pattoni in Taiwan, Thakhek, Laos represents a new distribution record for this parasite.

Helminth specimens representing 3 cestode species, an acanthocephalan, and 15 nematode species were collected from the digestive tracts of 30 individuals of Rattus steini (Muridae) from Papua New Guinea. Of the nematode morphotypes, 7 could be identified to species level and there was insufficient material to fully identify the remainder. All were new host records. A bootstrap estimator of species richness indicated that 83.6% of the expected species in the gastrointestinal helminth community of R. steini were recovered. A comparison of the gastrointestinal communities of Rattus leucopus, Rattus giluwensis, Rattus novaeguineae, and Rattus niobe with R. steini found that the dominant elements in each case were heterakids, oxyurids, and spirurids, with heligmonellids at low prevalences and intensities.

One Xenodon merremii specimen was reported with a high number of a rhabdiasid nematodes in the lungs. The snake died shortly after its arrival in our laboratory after capture in the municipality of São Manuel, São Paulo State, Brazil. Necropsy revealed the presence of 13,526 nematodes, which we identified as Serpentirhabdias cf. vellardi, infecting the snake's lungs. A detailed morphological characterization of this nematode species and a discussion of the known cases of infection with Serpentirhabdias spp. are presented.

The effect of temperature on cercarial release has been well documented for several digenean species; however, there have been no prior studies assessing shedding of cercariae from snails infected with the azygiid, Proterometra macrostoma. Snails, Pleurocera semicarinata, were collected at the Lemon's Mill site on North Elkhorn Creek in Scott County, Kentucky during June and July 2016. Snails shedding cercariae (n = 453) were assigned to temperature treatments (10, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, and 30°C) that were within the range of previously reported seasonal water temperatures at North Elkhorn Creek. Snails were acclimated to experimental temperatures for 3 d. Cercarial counts were then made at 0900 h daily over the next 7 d, and the average 7-d cercarial release was calculated for each snail. The minimum emergence threshold temperature for Pr. macrostoma cercarial release was determined to be approximately 13°C, whereas the minimum development threshold temperature was between 10 and 12°C. Notably, cercarial release increased with temperature up to 25°C, but declined at 30°C. Q₁₀ values calculated from 10°C intervals were greatest at the lowest (13–23°C) temperature interval (Q₁₀ = 16.1), and declined at the higher (15–25 and 20–30°C) intervals (Q₁₀ = 4.3 and Q₁₀ = 1.8, respectively). Snail survivorship within combined replicates ranged from 87.1 to 100% over the 10-d experiment, with the lowest survivorship observed at 30°C. These results are discussed with regard to climate change and global warming.

We examined 31 specimens of Rhinella granulosa from the semiarid Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil for the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes. We found 7 nematode taxa: Rhabdias androgyna, Raillietnema spectans, Aplectana membranosa, Oswaldocruzia sp., Physaloptera sp., Raillietnema sp., and cosmocercidae larvae. The total prevalence was 25.8% and by mean intensity of infection (± SD) was 50 ± 7.36. The prevalence in males was 10% with an intensity of 4 while in females it was 42.85% with a mean intensity of 42 ± 8.55. The juveniles presented a prevalence of 14.28% and an intensity of 4. Rhinella granulosa represents a new host for the following nematodes: Rhabdias androgyna, Raillietnema spectans, and Raillietnema sp.

The occurrence of parasitic infections in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)) cultured in Sinaloa, Mexico were investigated. Fish samples were obtained from different fish farms over the last 11 yr. In total, 433 fish were examined and 13 parasite species (8 protozoans and 5 monogeneans) were found. Trichodina spp., Cichlidogyrus spp., and Gyrodactylus spp. were the most-common parasites and occurred in most years, reaching prevalences of 81, 60, and 48%, respectively. Trichodina spp. and Cichlidogyrus spp. were the only species to be found in 5 fish farms in the same year, which occurred in 2008. These results suggest that parasite infections in farmed tilapia have likely become permanently established in Sinaloa, probably because of the poor water quality and incorrect management practices. We argue that better educational programs are needed to correctly comply with biosecurity measures to prevent and control fish diseases.