Revision of the genus Desportesius Chabaud and Campana, 1949 (Nematoda: Acuarioidea) mainly from the gizzard of ciconiform birds

Abstract

Desportesius Chabaud and Campana, 1949 is revised. Eight species are recognized: D. brevicaudatus (Dujardin, 1845), D. bubulcusi (Kumar and Gupta, 1979), D. equispiculatus (Wu and Liu, 1943), D. invaginatus (Linstow, 1901), D. longevaginatus (Molin, 1860), D. orientalis (Wu, 1933), D. sagittatus (Rudolphi, 1809), and D. triaenucha (Wright, 1879). Desportesius spinulatus Chabaud and Campana, 1949, D. morneti Gretillat and Morel, 1961, D. cramae Sharma, 1973, D. nigeri Gupta and Kazim, 1978, and D. ibisi Naidu, 1981 are considered synonyms of the type species, D. invaginatus. Desportesius canadensis is regarded as a synonym of D. triaenucha. Three species are regarded as species inquirendae: Synhimantus ardeai Agrawal, 1965, D. groffi (Li, 1934), and D. raillieti (Skrjabin, 1924). Desportesius invaginatus, D. brevicaudatus, D. triaenucha, and D. longevaginatus are redescribed and a key to species is provided. Although Desportesius and Syncuaria Gilbert, 1927 have dissimilar cordon arrangements they may be closely related on the basis of the following shared characters: (i) monodelphy, (ii) vulva located immediately anterior to anus, (iii) highly inflated male caudal alae, (iv) preanal caudal papillae located immediately anterior to anus, and (v) short male and female tails.