# Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) whartoni (Nematoda: Rictulariidae) encysted larvae in invasive Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) from Florida, United States

## TL;DR

A Southeast Asian nematode parasite was found in invasive Cuban treefrogs in Florida, marking its first report in the New World.

## Contribution

The first confirmed report of Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) whartoni in the New World, associated with invasive Cuban treefrogs.

## Key findings

- Encysted larvae of Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) whartoni were found in Cuban treefrogs in Florida.
- Molecular analysis confirmed the parasite's identity and its origin from Southeastern Asia.
- This discovery raises concerns about invasive species and non-native parasites impacting native wildlife.

## Abstract

Species of Pterygodermatites are spirurid nematodes that have expanded their geographic distribution worldwide. They infect a variety of mammalian definitive hosts with few reports of potential paratenic infections in amphibian and reptile hosts. In this study, we report Pterygodermatites sp. larvae identified in free-ranging, invasive Cuban treefrogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis), from central Florida, United States. Encysted larvae were recovered from the skeletal muscle and/or the coelomic cavity of three frogs; molecular characterization of the small subunit (18S) ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase I genes of the parasites matched reported sequences of Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) whartoni (Tubangui, 1931). This is a parasite native to Southeastern Asia and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first report of the species in the New World. The recovery of invasive Pterygodermatites from invasive Cuban treefrogs in North America highlights the growing concern regarding the potential impact non-native parasites and invasive species may have on native wildlife populations.