Uteropolystomoides, Tinsley, 2017

Chaabane, Amira, Preez, Louis Du, Johnston, Gerald & Verneau, Olivier, 2022, Revision of the systematics of the Polystomoidinae (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) with redefinition of Polystomoides Ward, 1917 and Uteropolystomoides Tinsley, 2017, Parasite (Paris, France) 29 (56), pp. 1-19 : 12-13

Revision of Uteropolystomoides outlines

Polystomoides multifalx , originally described as Polystoma multifalx Stunkard, 1924 from the pharyngeal region of Pseudemys floridana from central Florida ( USA), was the first A. Chaabane et al.: Parasite 2022, 29, 56

13 chelonian polystome known to have a huge genital bulb bearing numerous long spines in excess of 100 (120–124) [ 40]. Stunkard [ 40] mentioned that the number of genital spines of this species was three times greater than in any other known polystomes at the time. Based on samples from the mouth of Pseudemys hieroglyphica Boulenger (now Pseudemys concinna ) from Oklahoma ( USA), Harwood [ 10] distinguished Polystomoides stunkardi Harwood, 1931 from P. multifalx by the fewer genital spines, the smaller size of the genital bulb and testis, and the arrangement of haptoral suckers. From a morphological comparison between a set of specimens collected by Mr. Macintosh from P. floridana from southern Florida and vouchers of P. stunkardi from P. concinna from Oklahoma, Price [ 36] proposed the conspecificity of P. stunkardi with P. multifalx . However, Tinsley [ 42] concluded that U. nelsoni , P. multifalx , and P. stunkardi may form a coherent group of apparently related species. Based on morphological observations and measurements of samples collected from P. concinna and P. nelsoni ( Table 5 ), we were unable to distinguish polystomes collected from both host species. Moreover, the genetic data indicated that polystome samples collected from the three distinct host species, namely P. concinna , P. floridana , and P. nelsoni , belong to the same polystome species. We therefore agree with Price [ 36], and consider that the specimens collected from P. concinna from the Ichetucknee River of Florida and those collected from P. nelsoni are conspecific with P. multifalx . We thus propose to consider a single species, namely Uteropolystomoides multifalx (Stunkard, 1924) n. comb. in the genus Uteropolystomoides and provide below a supplementary description for the new type species.