New records of the isopod Leidya distorta infesting the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus from South America

Abstract

The Neotropical region has a large diversity of crabs. However, the diversity of the parasites infesting these crustaceans is still poorly known. In this study we recorded three new occurrences of the isopod bopyrid Leidya distorta on Ucides cordatus from Southern Brazil and North-Eastern Venezuela. Crabs were collected in mangroves of Venezuela (Cumaná) and Brazil (Cananéia and São Vicente). A total of 281 crabs were captured in these localities and dissected in the laboratory to verify parasitism by L. distorta. Three of these crabs were infested with L. distorta. Parasitic prevalences in the crabs were generally very low (1.1%), and differed according to locality: in Cananéia (2.6%) and São Vicente (2.2%) they were slightly higher than in Cumaná (0.5%). Here, we present new records of L. distorta infesting the mangrove crab U. cordatus from South America and a revision of the brachyuran that serve as host to L. distorta.