Commensal Protista, Cnidaria and Helminth Parasites of the Cajun Chorus Frog, Pseudacris fouquettei (Anura: Hylidae), from Oklahoma

Abstract

Twenty adult Cajun chorus frogs (Pseudacris fouquettei) were collected in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, and examined for commensal protozoans and helminth parasites. All 20 frogs harbored with one or more species, including 13 each (65%) with Opalina sp., and Nyctotherus cordiformis, 10 (50%) with Cystodiscus melleni, three (15%) with unknown reniferid metacercaria, three (15%) with Mesocoelium sp., one (5%) with Cylindrotaenia americana, four (20%) with Oswaldocruzia leidyi, five (25%) with Cosmocercoides variabilis, and three (15%) with unidentified acuariid larva. All (100%) harbored two or more protists, a cnidarian and/or helminths each. The Mesocoelium sp. appears to be a new species and new host records are reported for it as well as reniferid metacercaria; new distributional records in the state are documented for N. cordiformis, C. melleni, Mesocoelium sp. and O. leidyi. ©2015 Oklahoma Academy of Science