Aquatic Parasite Observatory

Southwellina spp. (Witenberg, 1932)

• Species Name: Southwellina spp. (Witenberg, 1932)
• Synonyms: None
• Taxonomy: (Witenberg, 1932) Animalia, Acanthocephala, Palaeacanthocephala, Polymorphida, Polymorphidae, Southwellina spp.
• Life Cycle: "Intermediate host (where known), crayfish. Paratenic hosts, fishes, amphibians, reptiles" (Schmidt, 1973).
• Description:
• Adult as described in Hoffman and Williams Jr., 1999:
  1. Trunk swollen in anterior portion, posterior portion slender. Hypodermal nuclei confined to anterior portion of trunk. Anterior trunk with 2 fields of spines on at least 1 sex. Anterior field may be incomplete dorsally. Proboscis cylindrical, with or without a swollen area, armed with numerous longitudinal rows of hooks. Neck conspicuous. Proboscis receptacle double-walled, inserted at base of proboscis. Lemnisci not bound to body wall at distal ends. Testes in anterior trunk. Four tubular cement glands. Parasites of aquatic birds. Distribution circumboreal.
• Sources: Hoffman, G.L. and Williams Jr., E.H. 1999. Parasites of North American Freshwater Fishes, Second Edition, p. 300.
  Schmidt, G.D. 1973. Resurrection of Southwellina. Witenberg, 1932, with a description of Southwellina dimorpha sp. n., and a key to genera in Polymorphidae (Acanthocephala). J. Parasitol, Vol. 59, Issue 2, p. 299-305.
• APO Parasite Records: (by Life Cycle)
• Adult

  1. Host Species	Host Common Name	Site(s) of Infection
     Ardea herodias	Great Blue Heron
     Buteo jamaicensis	Red-tailed Hawk
     Nycticorax nycticorax	Black-crowned night Heron

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