Lissorchis amniculensis is a previously undescribed species of trematode (fluke) found in the intestines of creek chubsuckers from a very small tributary of Big Sandy Creek in the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve. Members of this species are characterized by the tri-lobed ovary with a bipartite seminal vesicle with a larger distal portion, and a single loop of the uterus that ascends on the right side of the posterior testis. The specimens (including the holotype, shown) were collected in March, 2007. The species description appeared in Comparative Parasitology in 2010.

Caecincola autumnae is a previously undescribed species of trematode (fluke) found in the pyloric ceca of spotted bass from Big Sandy Creek in the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve. Members of this species are very similar to Caecincola latostoma, but differ in the size of the eggs, arrangement of the testes, number of lobes of the ovary, and size of the seminal receptacle, the latter of which is very large in C. autumnae. The specimens (including the holotype, shown) were collected in July, 2008. The species description appeared in Comparative Parasitology in 2010.

Polylekithum catahoulensis was described by Curran et al. (2006) from Ictalurus punctatus and Ictalurus furcatus from Louisiana. Catfishes from various waters of the Big Thicket National Preserve are also infected with this worm, and these new collections allowed for an improved definition and diagnosis of this species from its likely sister-taxon, Polylekithum ictaluri. The redescription appeared in Comparative Parasitology in 2012.

Homeomorpha mackiewiczi was described by Haley Dutton from spotted suckers (Minytrema melanops) from a site just outside the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve. This new genus was named to honor the prediction of Mackiewicz and Deutsch, who predicted the existence of this form in a paper in 1976. The epithet is an obvious nod to the immense contributions of John Mackiewicz to the taxonomy of caryophyllaeid tapeworms in North America. John also helped to tutor me (MAB) in caryophyllaeid biology when I attended a recent tapeworm workshop in Kansas, sponsored by Dr. Kirsten Jensen of the University of Kansas. Thanks, John. The description of the new genus and species appear in Comparative Parasitology in 2014.

Azygia aphredoderi was described in 2014 based on specimens collecting over the last several years, but primarily in 2013. It’s an unusual member of its genus in 2 regards: first, the host Aphredoderus sayanus (pirate perch) is unusual itself; and second, the worm is exceedingly small for members of this genus, with ventral sucker and gonads displaced very much to the posterior. We continue to find members of this new species in pirate perch from other locales in and around the Big Thicket. The description appeared in the 2014 volume of Comparative Parasitology.

Homalometron currani (middle) and Homalometron microlophi (right) were named by Drew Wellenstein and I in 2015. The original species delineations were made by Stephen Curran and his colleagues using molecular data on a small set of specimens. We were fortunate enough to collected a larger set of specimens that allow us to conduct some multivariate analyses to confirm the species diagnoses. We then named one species in honor of Dr. Curran’s work on trematodes, and the other for the beautiful fish (Lepomis microlophus) in which it occurs. The specimen on the left is Homalometron armatum. The descriptions appeared in the 2015 volume of Comparative Parasitology.

Prosorhynchoides fabulus was described by me from white bass collected from the Neches River near Beaumont, in the Big Thicket National Preserve. The species is a member of the Bucephalidae, so it has its mouth at the ventral sucker, and the anterior sucker is not oral, so to speak. The epithet, fabulus, comes from fava, and means “small bean,” referring to the bean-shaped body. The description appeared in the 2016 volume of Comparative Parasitology.

Our 2nd species of Caecincola, this time from white crappie, was discovered and described by Kyle McAndrews. Caecincola cookorum was found in Steinhagen Lake on the Neches River and is named in honor of our benevolent and hospitable hosts in Texas, Drs. Tami and Jerry Cook, as well as Siera Cook. Kyle not only found this worm, but also 2 more, in collaboration with Gunnar Orcutt. Gunnar’s description is in press at this time, and the 4th Caecincola from the Texas Big Thicket is in review, along with a key to species. This raises the diversity of this genus from 3 (in 1979) and 4 (in 2009) to 8, as of 2017. Clearly, more worms remain to be discovered in the Gulf Coast drainages. Until those other descriptions appear, here is the reprint of Kyle’s work.

Macroderoides luki was discovered by Hayden Kusy and, after a long time in which we debated the status of this critter, was described by him and I, the publication of which appeared in the 2017 Comparative parasitology. Found in gar, this is a big worm in one dimension (its length), although it remains tiny in its thickness and breadth. On the right is an outline of the holotype and on the left are 2 photographs--the top are the tegumental spines covering the oral sucker and anterior region; the bottom is the terminus of the male and female reproductive tracts just anterior to the ventral sucker. Hayden was gracious enough to allow me to name this worm after my nephew (son of my sister), who is a fan of all things zoological, particularly big, impressive predators, like the spotted gars from which these worms were taken.  Here’s the publication.