Cheilospirura centrocerci, a New Nematode from the Sage Grouse Centrocercus urophasianusAuthor(s): Felix SimonSource: Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan., 1939), pp. 78-80Published by: Wiley on behalf of American Microscopical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3222651 .

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CHEILOSPIRURA CENTROCERCI, A NEW NEMATODE FROM THE SAGE GROUSE CENTROCERCUS UROPHASIANUS

FELIX SIMON University of Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station

This description is based on measurements of seven males and six fe- males collected by the writer near Laramie, Wyoming. A number of other specimens, and fragments, have been examined. Among the latter are samples of material collected from sage grouse by L. A. Woodbury in Wyoming and E. E. Wehr in Montana. This material was identified as Cheilospirura spinosa Cram, 1927, and reported from the sage grouse by Wehr, 1932. The present writer, however, finds that the material of Wehr and Woodbury is the same as his own, and that the Cheilospirura of the sage grouse differs in several constant features from Cheilospirura spinosa.

Two other nematodes have been reported from the sage grouse: Habro- nema urophasiana Wehr, 1931, and Heterakis gallinae (Gmelin, 1790) Free- born, 1923, the latter having been found upon one occasion by J. E. Shillinger.

Cheilospirura centrocerci n. sp. (Text-fig. A)

Morphology.-Cheliospirura: Mouth with two broadly rounded lips; at the base of each are a pair of papillae which may project beyond the margins of the lips. The four cordons extend from their origin between the lips to the mid region of the anterior esophagus; i.e., to the region between 34 to 68 per cent of the length of the anterior esophagus; average 45.5 per cent in the male, 60 per cent in the female. Each cordon is composed of two discrete rows of elements which in different regions of the same specimen may appear blunt or sharply pointed, the latter appearance predominating. The cordons are of the same shape throughout, the difference in appearance at different levels depending upon the aspect from which they are viewed. Figure 3 shows the appearance of the cordons in two regions of the body. (b is seen when a is rotated 90 degrees to the right. c is seen when b is ro- tated 90 degrees forward or backward.) Cervical papillae at the level of the union of pharynx and esophagus.

Male: Length, 16.76 to 20.22 mm., average 17.86 mm. Width 265 to 382,u, average 311u, at the level of the posterior end of the esophagus; 313 to 418t,, average 350,t, at the middle of the body. Cordons 558 to 783,u, average 668,. Pharynx 261 to 292Mu, average 273,j. Anterior esophagus 770 to 962,u, average 870Mt. Posterior esophagus 2.04 to 2.46 mm., average 2.26 mm. Caudal extremity tightly coiled; alae broad. Four pairs of preanal papillae; six pairs of postanal papillae arranged as follows: two pairs not far posterior to the cloacal aperture, two pairs near the caudal extremity, the other two pairs more widely spaced between. The two papillae of any

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NEW NEMATODE FROM THE SAGE GROUSE 79

C

TEXT-FIG. A

Cheilospirura centrocerci n. sp. FIG. 1. Male tail. FIG. 2. Female tail. FIG. 3. Anterior end. a, end view of cordons; b, side view of cordons; c, anterior or posterior

view of cordon element (seen only in dissections).

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FELIX SIMON

pair may or may not be symmetrically placed. Cloacal aperture to end of body 540 to 756,u, average 633,u. The slender spicule 936 to 1,080,u, average 1,012,i; the thick spicule 183 to 261ut, average 235,t.

Female: Length 42.69 to 51.67 mm., average 46.87 mm. Width 360 to 418,u, average 383,t at the level of the posterior end of the esophagus; 400 to 522ju, average 487,u at the middle of the body. Cordons 837 to 1,008,t, average 937u. Pharynx 270 to 378,u, average 306,u. Anterior esophagus 924 to 1,155u, average 1,036,. Posterior esophagus 2.04 to 3.39 mm., average 2.7 mm. Vulva from anterior end of body 15.43 to 19.28 mm., average 17.42 mm., dividing body length in about the ratio 17:29. Anus to end of body 351 to 450u, average 395/u. Eggs 43.2 to 45,u by 27 to 31.5,u, average 44.5, by 28.4u.

Life history: Unknown. Host: Sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus. Location: Gizzard. Distribution: Wyoming and Montana. Type: U. S. N. M. No. 9153. Paratypes in the University of Wyoming

collection. Discussion: This species is very closely related to C. spinosa Cram(1927),

but is consistently larger with respect to all structures except the esophagi which are shorter. The cordons being longer than those of C. spinosa, and the anterior esophagus shorter, the extent of the cordons in relation to the anterior esophagus is considerably greater. Other differences lie in the posi- tion of the vulva, size of eggs, and in all gross measurements.

It is of interest to note that Boughton (1937), reported C. spinosa from the sharp tailed grouse, but found that the cordons in his specimens were blunt as is C. gruveli (Gendre, 1913) Cram, 1927, not sharply pointed as in C. spinosa. The cordons of Cram's and Boughton's specimens could be of the same essential shape and the different appearance accounted for if the cordons in Cram's specimens swung farther toward the margins of the worm such that they would be seen in side view. The cordons in C. centro- cerci n. sp. may appear either blunt or sharply pointed depending upon the aspect from which they are viewed. They are most prominent along the margins of the worm and, therefore, throughout most of their length, are seen in lateral view, which means that the sharp appearance prevails, presenting the striking character of C. spinosa.

LITERATURE CITED

Boughton, Rex V. 1937. Endoparasitic infestations in grouse, their pathogenicity and correla- tion with meteorotopographical conditions. Univ. Minn. Ag. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 121.

Cram, Eloise B. 1927. Bird parasites of the nematode suborders strongylata, ascaridata, and spirurata. U. S. N. M. Bull. 140.

Wehr, E. E. 1931. A new species of nematode worm from the sage grouse. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 79 (3).

1932. Occurrence of a nematode, Cheilospirura spinosa Cram, 1927, as a parasite of the sage grouse of Western United States.

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