Eucoleus halcyonus, a new species of lungworm (Nematoda: Capillariidae) from the white-collared kingfisher, Halcyon chloris collaris (Scopoli, 1786) in the Philippines

Issue Date

10-2010

Abstract

A new species of the genus Eucoleus Dujardin, 1845, Eucoleus halcyonus is described and illustrated from the lungs and air sacs of a white-collared kingfisher (Halcyon chloris collaris (Scopoli, 1786) from Danjugan Island, off Negros, Philippines. The bird was a downer that suffered from extreme respiratory distress and died 3 h later. Specimens were recovered at necropsy, fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol solution until further study. These were either examined as temporary mounts in lacto-phenol solution or as semi-permanent mounts by clearing in glycerin after a slow evaporation of the alcohol in an alcohol-glycerin solution. The new species is characterized mainly by having a wavy muscular part of esophagus, stichosome part of esophagus 15 or more times longer than the muscular part; stichocytes gradually increasing in size towards the posterior end, longer than broad in the anterior half and broader than long in the posterior half of the entire length of the stichosome; presence of spines on spicular sheath, absence of bacillary band and spicule, and larger size of egg. It is differentiated from species of the genus occurring in birds. E. halcyonus may have been the main cause of the respiratory distress resulting to the death of the bird. Diagnosis of infection with the species is accomplished by demonstrating the presence of its egg in the feces. A list of the parasites so far recorded from the Philippine white-collared kingfisher is provided.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Journal of Veterinary Medicine

ISSN

0031-7705

Volume

47

Issue

2

Page

85-91

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

illustrations, tables

Language

English

Subject

Eucoleus halcyonus new species, Halcyon chloris collaris, Kingfisher, Lungworm, Nematode parasite

Digital Copy

yes

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