Paranoplocephala cf. omphalodes (Hermann, 1783)

Haukisalmi, Voitto, Henttonen, Heikki, Hardman, Lotta, Hardman, Michael, Laakkonen, Juha, Murueva, Galina, Niemimaa, Jukka, Shulunov, Stanislav & Vapalahti, Olli, 2009, Review of tapeworms of rodents in the Republic of Buryatia, with emphasis on anoplocephalid cestodes, ZooKeys 8 (8), pp. 1-18 : 7-8

Paranoplocephala cf. omphalodes (Hermann, 1783)

It has been recently shown that P. omphalodes sensu stricto is primarily a parasite of Microtus agrestis (L.) and M. arvalis (Pallas) in Europe and probably elsewhere in western Eurasia ( Haukisalmi et al. 2004). There is another, rather host-specific species in M. oeconomus (i.e. Paranoplocephala jarrelli Haukisalmi, Henttonen & Hardman, 2006 ) that occurs in the root/tundra vole throughout its Holarctic range. The P. omphalodes - like taxon occurring in the eastern Beringian endemic Microtus miurus Osgood is also specifically distinct (i.e. Paranoplocephala batzlii Haukisalmi, Henttonen & Hardman, 2006 ; see Haukisalmi et al. 2006).

The present molecular phylogenetic analysis shows unequivocally that the P. omphalodes -like cestodes in Buryatia do not represent the true P. omphalodes ( Fig. 1 ).

The Buryatian specimens form a monophyletic group that is sister to the divergent North Alaskan subclade of P. jarrelli . The topology and high statistical support of the tree suggests that these two clades are both independent species, forming a sister group for the true, Holarctic P. jarrelli .

In the present material, the Buryatian P. cf. omphalodes occurred exclusively in Microtus fortis and M. oeconomus . Paranoplocephala omphalodes has earlier been report- ed from M. maximowiczii , M. oeconomus , Myodes rufocanus and Apodemus peninsulae in Buryatia and adjacent regions ( Machul’skii 1958; Zhaltsanova 1992). The earlier Buryatian records of P. omphalodes from Myodes rufocanus probably represent another, recently described species (i.e. Paranoplocephala buryatiensis Haukisalmi, Hardman, Hardman, Laakkonen, Niemimaa & Henttonen, 2006 ; see below).

Paranoplocephala cf. omphalodes from Buryatia may be primarily associated with the Asian Microtus species, i.e. M. fortis and M. maximowiczii , because it is not known from M. oeconomus outside Buryatia. Paranoplocephala cf. omphalodes will be later described as a new species.

Paranoplocephala cf. omphalodes was present in seven of the 12 study sites, highest prevalences being 20-23% ( Table 1 ).

Voucher specimen: MSB Endo 153 from M. oeconomus (Nizhnaya Ivolga) .

Figures

Fig. 1. Study sites in Buryatia. 1-6, Kamensk, Pasolskaya, Ganzurinov, Nizhnaya Ivolga, Verhnaya Berezovka, Utochkina Pad; 7, Maloje Kolesova; 8-10, Barguzin River, Shapen’kovo, Nesteriha; 11-13, Muhorshibir, Sharaldai, Zabaikalsk; 14, Tseremushki.