Physocephalus sexalatus (Molin)

Physocephalus sexalatus (Molin) View in CoL

Infection site: Stomach and intestine

Localities: Calcehtok and Homún

Prevalence (%) and mean intensity: Calcehtok 4.8 and 1.5 (1‒1.6). Homún 3.1 and 1.7 (1‒2.5)

Specimens deposited: CNHE-12322 and NHM 2025.8.13.14

GenBank accession number: PX232576 (28S)

Comments: Based on eight encysted larvae. Cephalic region with two (ventral and dorsal) conical projections ( Figure 5I View FIGURE 5 ). Head papillae well-defined, composed of six internal labial papillae and four cephalic papillae ( Figure 5H View FIGURE 5 ). The funnel-shaped oral cavity passes into a narrow pharynx. Tail short, terminating in a small knob bearing spike-like projections ( Figure 5J View FIGURE 5 ). Body, 1075 ± 229.3 (848‒1500) × 65 ± 9 (60‒80). Esophagus length 577 ± 139 (430‒760): muscular esophagus 186 ± 74 (80‒285) long and glandular esophagus 391 ± 108 (205‒550) long. Tail 47 ± 6 (42‒60) long.

The morphology and measurements of the specimens correspond to the third-stage larvae of P. sexalatus ( Kirillov & Yu Kirillova 2021) . This species has been recorded in P. mesoamericanus , P. fulvus , B. plicata , Glossophaga mutica Merriam and Micronycteris microtis Miller from Morelos (see complete references in Jiménez et al. 2017). This is the first record of P. sexalatus from bats in Yucatán.