Evaluating energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) as a diagnostic tool in acanthocephalan taxonomy as evidenced in...

We have examined the anterior and middle hooks of many specimens of 3 species of acanthocephalans from Ukraine including (1) adults of Acanthocephalus ranae (Schrank, 1788) Lühe, 1911 from 4 species of frogs in 6 geographical locations, (2) adults of Southwellina hispida Van Cleave, (1925) Witenberg, 1932 from 3 species of birds in 2 geographical locations, and (3) adults and cystacanths of Sphaerirostris picae (Rudolphi, 1819) Golvan, 1956 from 1 species of birds, 1 species of lizards, and 1 species of mammals in 2 geographical locations, to analyze their Ca, S, and P spectra using Energy dispersive x_ray analysis (EDXA), and account for their intraspecific variabilities. Adults of each of A. ranae from frogs and adults of S. hispida from birds each showed comparable metal spectra irrespective of host species and geography, especially when metal weight percent figures are averaged. In S. picae, 5 adult specimens from birds had comparable spectra but the cystacanth from hedgehog, a mammal, had particularly dissimilar pattern with much lower levels of P and Ca. We have also studied the EDXA patterns in anterior, middle and posterior hooks of cystacanths, juveniles, and adults of Moniliformis kalahariensis Meyer, 1931 much lower levels of P and Ca. in South Africa, Botswana, and India collected from their invertebrate intermediate and vertebrate definitive hosts to examine the EDXA profiles. Our conclusions were comparable to those reached from the Ukrainian material with the additional emphasis on the importance of using the same developmental stage in comparing interspecific EDXA profiles. The importance of the stability of the levels of S in various developmental stages across the host species barrier is exemplified by its relationship to the genetically based protein synthesis, which gives credibility to the usage of EDXA for diagnostic purposes. Our findings show that EDXA is a useful tool to characterize the taxonomic identity of species of Acanthocephala providing that (1) a population of a number of individual specimens are analyzed and average weight percent figures of metals are used for comparisons, and (2) comparisons are made using specimens of the same developmental stage and from hosts of the same class of vertebrate. When these conditions are met, the metal spectra for each species will prove valid for diagnostic purposes.