Description of Cruzia sanjuanensis sp. nov. (Cosmocercoidea: Kathlaniidae) in the tortoise Chelonoidis chilensis (Testudines: Testudinidae) in the province of San Juan, Argentina

Abstract

A new species of Cruzia (Cosmocercoidea: Kathlaniidae) collected from the large intestine of the tortoise (Chelonoidischilensis) in the province of San Juan, Argentina is described. The new species differs from the rest of the species assignedto Cruzia by: number of tooth-like structures, position of the vulva and size. Cruzia sanjuanensis sp. nov. has 13?16teeth per row, and the vulva position is equatorial. These characters differentiate it from other Neotropical species such asCruzia lauroi with 12 teeth per row and a pre-equatorial vulva, and Cruzia rudolphi and Cruzia boliviana both with 16?18 teethper row. The new species represents the eleventh species of Cruzia and the first described for a reptile in Argentina.