Phylogenetic position of Gorgoderina parvicava Travassos, 1922 (Digenea: Gorgoderidae), a parasite of Leptodactylus labyrinthicus (Spix, 1824) (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Brazil

Abstract

During a parasite survey in Brazilian amphibians from São Paulo state, Brazil, Gorgoderina parvicava Travassos, 1922 was found in the urinary bladder (11 adult worms) and (five juvenile worms) in the kidneys of the pepperfrog Leptodactylus labyrinthicus (Spix, 1824). Parasites were examined by microscopy and 28S rDNA and COI gene were sequenced and analyzed for the molecular study. The phylogenetic reconstructions resulted in identical topologies with highly supported values in the nodes in most clades using Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods and positioned G. parvicava in the subclade formed by species of subfamily Gorgoderinae parasitizing the urinary bladder of amphibians. Molecular phylogenetic data showed that this species is related to other species of Gorgoderina. In addition, new molecular data and the analyses of genetic distances provide extra comparative data, which can be applied in further investigations on the taxonomic status and the diversity among Gorgoderina spp. and host-parasite relationships.