Breinlia (Breinlia) mundayi ( Spratt & Varughese, 1975 ) Chabaud & Bain, 1976

Spratt, David M., 2011, New records of filarioid nematodes (Nematoda: Filarioidea) parasitic in Australasian monotremes, marsupials and murids, with descriptions of nine new species 2860, Zootaxa 2860 (1), pp. 1-61 : 19-21

Breinlia (Breinlia) mundayi ( Spratt & Varughese, 1975) Chabaud & Bain, 1976

Filaria sp. Eisig, 1869 , pp. 99–102, pl. 11, figs. 1–2, ( Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus ) as Halmaturus bennetti ) Tasmania; Johnston, 1909, p. 518.

Dipetalonema mundayi Spratt & Varughese, 1975, pp. 67–70 , figs. 144–154 ( M. rufogriseus rufogriseus ) (as M. rufogriseus fruticus ).

Breinlia mundayi (Spratt & Varughese) Beveridge et al. 1985, p. 379 ( Wallabia bicolor ); Beveridge et al. 1992, p.367 ( Onychogalea unguifera ).

Breinlia (Breinlia) mundayi (Spratt & Varughese) Chabaud & Bain, 1976, p. 377 ; Spratt et al. 1991, pp. 46, 55, 61, 68.

Dipetalonema sp. nov. 2 Spratt & Varughese, 1975, p. 87 ( Wallabia bicolor ).

Type host. Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus (Desmarest) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae )

Other hosts. Macropus rufogriseus banksianus (Quoy & Gaimard) , Macropus eugenii (Desmarest) , Macropus giganteus , Macropus parryi , Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae ), Potorous tridactylus (Kerr) (Marsupialia: Potoroidae ), Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss) (Marsupialia: Phacolarctidae).

Site in host: pericardial, pleural & peritoneal cavities.

Other material examined. From Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus: TAS : 1♀, ( N68 ) Kingston ; 2♂, 11♀, ( N69 ) Bothwell .

From Macropus rufogriseus banksianus: QLD : 1♂, 1♀, ( N235 ) Hermitage Research Stn, Warwick; 2♀, ( N82 ) Mt. Nebo , 1♀, ( N83 ) Mt. Glorious. NSW: blood microfilaraemia only, n=2, Bondo State Forest nr Wee Jasper (mff 320 µm, pericarditis). ACT: 2♀, ( N846 ) Tidbinbilla Nat. Res.. VIC: 1♀, ( N5434 ) Hall’s Gap .

From Macropus eugenii: ACT : 2♂, 1♀, ( N5408 ) CSIRO Gungahlin Yards ex Kangaroo Island . SA : 4♀, ( N186 ) ; 5♂, 8♀, ( AHC 45859) Karatta; 4♀, ( N188 ) , Cape Cassini, 1♀, ( N189 ) American River , 1♀, ( N2930 ) Kingscote, 1♀, ( N4577 ) , 6♂, 3♀, ( QM G232517 ) , Kangaroo Is.; 1♀, ( N3000 ) Pelican Lagoon. WA: 1♂, 1♀,( AHC 45856) Garden Is.

From Macropus giganteus: NSW : 1♂, ( N562 ) Bramina. VIC : 1♀, ( N350 ) You Yangs ; 1♂, 4♀, ( N434 ) Fraser National Park .

From Macropus parryi: QLD : 1♂, 2♀, ( QM G232518 ) near Brisbane .

From Wallabia bicolor: QLD : 1♂, 1♀, ( N4362 ), Einasleigh ; 1♀, ( N4363 ) Woodlark Bay, Airlie Beach. NSW : 1♂, 2♀, ( N5387 ) Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo ; 6♀, ( N5398 ) Wellington ; 6♂, 28♀, ( N224 ) 7♂, 14♀, ( N225 ) Dorrigo ; 9♂, 24♀, ( AHC 45857) Bondi State Forest nr Bombala ; 3♂, 10♀, ( N1463 ) Coolangubra State Forest ; 1♀, ( N333 ) 20 km S Nowra ; 1♂, 3♀, ( N1146 ) Nadgee State Forest nr Eden ; 4♀, ( N1147 ) Timbillica State Forest nr Eden; blood microfilaraemia only: Timbillica State Forest (mff 320 µm, pericarditis) ; 3♂, 2♀, ( N3076 ) Bondo State Forest . ACT : 7♂, 13♀, ( N824 ) , 1♂, 4♀, ( N846 ) Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve ; 1♂, ( N1212 ) Black Mountain . VIC : 2♀, ( N79 ) ; 1♀, ( N80 ) Bemm River ; 2♀, ( N81 ) Kyneton ; 1♀, ( N334 ) Upper Tambo ; 2♀, ( N1810 ) Carrajung ; 1♂, 14♀, ( N3774 ) Dixon’s Ck .; 1♂, 3♀, ( N4338 ) , 1♀, ( N4339 ) , 1♀, ( N4463 ) , 1♂, 1♀, ( N5120 ) , 1♂, ( N5121 ) , 9♂, 26♀, ( AHC 45860) , 2♂, 11♀, ( N5254 ) , 16♂, 98♀, ( AHC 45858) , 1♂, ( N5302 ) , 2♂, 3♀, ( N5388 ) , 1♂, 13♀, ( QM G232519 ) Healesville ; 6♀, ( N4456 ) Corranderk Reserve, Healesville ; 1♂, ( N4462 ) Kamarooka ; 1♀, ( N5393 ) Hoopers Crossing ; 1♀, ( N5412 ) Brimpaen ; 2♀, ( N5415 ) Mt. Zero ; 1♂, 11♀, ( N5416 ) Beaufort , 4♀, ( SAM 10548) , 1♂. 4♀ ( SAM 10549) Bonang .

From Potorous tridactylus (Kerr, 1792) TAS : 1♂, ( N626 ) Legana .

From Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) : NSW: 1♀, ( N4643 ) Coffs Harbour. VIC: 3♂, 1♀, ( N3664 ), 1♀, ( N5438 ), Healesville Sanctuary, Healesville .

Distribution and hosts. Breinlia (B.) mundayi has a broad host distribution and is, with two exceptions, a parasite of southeastern and southern macropodid and potoroid species, in contrast to B. (B.) boltoni of northern macropodoids. The only two records of the former from northern latitudes at Einasleigh and at Airlie Beach, occurred in Wallabia bicolor , the most common southern host and one in which B. (B.) boltoni has not been observed. It appears to be an accidental host of koalas in both New South Wales and Victoria.

Remarks. Breinlia (B.) mundayi is very similar to B. (B) boltoni . However, there are sufficient morphological features to distinguish them, in females in particular the absence of refractile cuticular bosses over the lateral lines in B. (B.) mundayi and the presence of bosses in female B. (B.) boltoni . This feature has been confirmed by dissection of a number of specimens of both species. The former species is further distinguished from the latter by the generally shorter lengths of males and females, more anterior position of the vulva, presence of one pair of subterminal latero-vental papillae and a single, large, terminal papilla on the caudal extremity of females, smaller lateromedian papillae and amphids in apical view and much longer microfilariae, with greater distance between last nucleus and tail tip.

Breinlia (Breinlia) mundayi occurs in both the pleural and peritoneal cavities or in both in a single host, in the former situation often associated with or in the pericardium, the host often exhibiting pericarditis. An old wild male W. bicolor found in Healesville Sanctuary was weak and debilitated, and with 16♂, and 98♀ (N5258) in both pleural and peritoneal cavities. The post mortem report noted “ severe pericarditis with adhesions to the epicardium. Heavy nematode infestation in all body cavities.” Histologically, the heart lesion was reported as epicardial fibrosis. Severe pleuritis associated with B. mundayi has been observed also in M. eugenii with numerous fibrinous adhesions between the lung lobes and the pericostal muscles (Beveridge pers. comm.).

As occurs in B. (B.) boltoni from northern macropodoids, there is a pronounced preponderance of females over male worms in many hosts and often only females are recovered, and containing microfilariae in the vagina uterina and uteri. The large size of males indicates that they are unlikely to be overlooked, suggesting rather that they are much shorter lived than females.

The records from captive koalas in Victoria are from a region where B. (B.) mundayi is common, particularly in swamp wallabies. The record from this host in eastern coastal New South Wales was from a free–living animal. Both are considered accidental infections.