First molecular assessment of two digenean parasites of the lancehead snake Bothrops moojeni Hoge, 1966 (Serpentes, Viperidae) in Brazil

Two digenean species, Infidum infidum Faria, 1910 (Dicrocoeliidae) and Travtrema stenocotyle Cohn, 1902 (Plagiorchiidae), were collected in the large pit viper Bothrops moojeni Hoge, 1966 from Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural Cisalpina, municipality of Brasilandia, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. In this study, we provide the first molecular characterisation using the 28S rDNA and phylogenetic position data of these two common digeneans from B. moojeni. The molecular framework revealed topologies with strongly supported clades using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods, positioned I. infidum among Plagiorchiidae and not among Dicrocoeliidae as expected and T. stenocotyle (Plagiorchiidae) surprisingly grouped as a sister group to Allassogonoporidae, Microphallidae, Pleurogenidae, and Prosthogonimidae, not related to plagiorchids. Our molecular phylogenetic data showed that these species may not correspond to their assigned families and encourage future studies on the systematic of these understudied groups.

Automated summary

Two digenean species, Infidum infidum and Travtrema stenocotyle, collected from the large pit viper Bothrops moojeni in Brazil, were molecularly characterised using 28S rDNA. The phylogenetic analysis revealed unexpected relationships between these species and their assigned families, indicating the need for further systematic studies in these understudied groups.