A new species of Spauligodon (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) in Sceloporus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Reserve of the Biosphere Barranca de Metztitlán, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

A new species of Spauligodon collected from the digestive tract of Sceloporus minor and Sceloporus grammicus is described. The species is assigned to Spauligodon because the caudal alae start at the level of the precloacal papillae and embed the adcloacal papillae. The species described herein is most similar to S. garciaprietoi, S. goldbergi, and S. mearnsi because all of them present spicules; diagnostic traits include having male worms with 1-5 spines in the tail, tripartite lateral alae with 5 ridges, females with spines in the tail and eggs that are fusiform. Spauligodon lamothei n. sp. was found in 4 of 9 individuals of S. minor and 1 of 5 individuals of S. grammicus. This species is the tenth recorded in the neotropics and the third from Mexico.