Molecular characterization and phylogenetic placement of a new cestode, Oochoristica turpanoeremiadis sp. nov. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae), parasitizing Eremias roborowskii from Turpan Basin in China
- 1Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology, College of Life Sciences, China
- 2College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, China
- 3National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, China
Abstract
The genus Oochoristica Lühe, 1898 (Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae) primarily parasitizes reptiles. A new species of Oochoristica was collected from the small intestine of Eremias roborowskii (Bedriaga, 1906), from the Turpan Basin of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Following hematoxylin staining, through microscopic examination and detailed morphological description, a comparative morphometric analysis was conducted against closely related congeners, with particular emphasis on key taxonomic indicators, including the reproductive system and cephalic structures. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using a multilocus analysis based on the 18S rRNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and COI gene regions. Genetic distances were calculated to support species delimitation. The parasite exhibits the following diagnostic features: proglottids significantly wider than long; a scolex lacking a rostellum and hooks; 20–25 spherical testes clustered in the posterior region of the proglottid; genital pores irregularly alternating along the lateral margins; a bilobed, highly branched ovary; and an elliptical vitellarium situated anterior to the ovary. Phylogenetic trees demonstrated that the new species formed a distinct, well-supported clade with lower intraspecific genetic variation than interspecific divergence, thereby supporting its status as an independent species. This new species is the 19th Oochoristica taxon recorded in the Palaearctic realm and the first novel cestode found in Eremias roborowskii. In the present study, an integrative taxonomic approach was employed, which combined comparative morphology with molecular phylogenetics and zoogeographic analyses, thereby elucidating the phylogenetic significance of this species within the genus Oochoristica.
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BibTeX
@article{yan2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular characterization and phylogenetic placement of a new cestode, Oochoristica turpanoeremiadis sp. nov. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae), parasitizing Eremias roborowskii from Turpan Basin in China}},
author = {Xiaofei Yan and Shengtao Chen and Ziqi Jiang and Chong Liu and Yi Ba and Yiyang Zhao and Shuxian Li and Bin Zheng and Yafang Xu and Qing Han},
journal = {Parasitology},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1017/s0031182026102315},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182026102315},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular characterization and phylogenetic placement of a new cestode, Oochoristica turpanoeremiadis sp. nov. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae), parasitizing Eremias roborowskii from Turpan Basin in China
AU - Xiaofei Yan
AU - Shengtao Chen
AU - Ziqi Jiang
AU - Chong Liu
AU - Yi Ba
AU - Yiyang Zhao
AU - Shuxian Li
AU - Bin Zheng
AU - Yafang Xu
AU - Qing Han
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/22
JO - Parasitology
DO - 10.1017/s0031182026102315
UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182026102315
AB - The genus Oochoristica Lühe, 1898 (Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae) primarily parasitizes reptiles. A new species of Oochoristica was collected from the small intestine of Eremias roborowskii (Bedriaga, 1906), from the Turpan Basin of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Following hematoxylin staining, through microscopic examination and detailed morphological description, a comparative morphometric analysis was conducted against closely related congeners, with particular emphasis on key taxonomic indicators, including the reproductive system and cephalic structures. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using a multilocus analysis based on the 18S rRNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and COI gene regions. Genetic distances were calculated to support species delimitation. The parasite exhibits the following diagnostic features: proglottids significantly wider than long; a scolex lacking a rostellum and hooks; 20–25 spherical testes clustered in the posterior region of the proglottid; genital pores irregularly alternating along the lateral margins; a bilobed, highly branched ovary; and an elliptical vitellarium situated anterior to the ovary. Phylogenetic trees demonstrated that the new species formed a distinct, well-supported clade with lower intraspecific genetic variation than interspecific divergence, thereby supporting its status as an independent species. This new species is the 19th Oochoristica taxon recorded in the Palaearctic realm and the first novel cestode found in Eremias roborowskii. In the present study, an integrative taxonomic approach was employed, which combined comparative morphology with molecular phylogenetics and zoogeographic analyses, thereby elucidating the phylogenetic significance of this species within the genus Oochoristica.
SN - 0031-1820
SN - 1469-8161
ER -