NEMATODE PARASITES 

 OF THE GALAPAGOS LAND IGUANA* 



(With Three Plates) 



ASHTON C. CUCKLER 

 University of Nebraska 



The nematode parasites which are the basis of this study were col- 

 lected by Dr. H. W. Manter from the intestine of the Galapagos land 

 iguana, Conolophus subcristatus Gray, during the 1934 Allan Hancock 

 Pacific Expedition. All parasites were from a single host taken on South 

 Seymour Island, Galapagos. 



The writer wishes to express his indebtedness to Dr. Manter for 

 the opportunity to study this material and for aid and advice during the 

 work. 



The parasites had been fixed in hot 70 per cent alcohol. They were 

 cleared with glycerine and mounted in this fluid for study. The prepa- 

 ration and examination of the en face views of the lips were by the 

 method suggested by Chitwood and Wehr (1935). 



The nematodes occurred in very large numbers in the intestine of 

 the iguana. Nearly 4,000 specimens were collected and these repre- 

 sented but a small part of the entire infection of a single host. 



It was found that five species of nematodes, all of the family 

 Oxyuridae, subfamily Syphaciinae, were represented in this single col- 

 lection. All of these 5 species are considered to be new. They can be 

 referred to two genera, one of which is described as new. 



Five genera of Syphaciinae occur in reptiles. Two of these, Alaeuris 

 Thapar, 1925 and Thaparia Ortlepp, 1933, are characterized in part 

 by the presence of caudal alae in the males, which is also a characteristic 

 of the species from the Galapagos land iguana. These species further 

 resemble Thaparia in the absence of lateral alae, the presence of two 

 uteri and two ovaries, usually four genital papillae, and a single spicule 

 and an accessory piece. However, the short esophagus of three regions, 



* Studies from the Zoological Laboratories, University of Nebraska, No. 199. 



[137] 



