Brachycoelium salamandrae (Frolich, 1789) Dujardin, 1845

Brachycoelium salamandrae (Frolich, 1789) Dujardin, 1845 View in CoL

Hosts (prevalence; range): L. mystacinus (1/8; 58).

Site of infection: small intestine.

Stage: adult.

Type host and type locality: Salamandra atra Laurenti ( Caudata , Salamandridae ), Germany.

Comments: several species of frogs and salamanders have been recorded with this parasite in Europe, North America, and South America ( Prudhoe & Bray 1982). There are certain confusions concerning the number of species of the genus since some authors consider only B. salamandrae , the type species, for the genus ( Bolek & Coggins 1998; Goldberg et al. 2007) while other authors believe in satisfactory characters to sustain more than one species (see Cheng 1958; Couch 1966). Our specimens possess the main fetures of B. salamandrae such as wider body, short caeca, rounded testes, vitelline follicles anterior to caecal zone and pre-testicular ovary. Mesocoelium monas (Rudolphi) can resemble B. salamandrae in general body shape but differ mainly by ovary post-testicular and the distribution of vitelline follicles. Leptodactylus mystacinus is a new host for this parasite and the third anuran species in South America [after Adenomera martinezi (Bokermann) (= Leptodactylus martinezi ) and Leptodactylus rhodomystax Boulenger in Goldberg et al. 2007].