A new spirurid (Nematoda) parasite from mormoopid bats in Mexico.

A new nematode species, Spirura mexicana n. sp., is described from specimens recovered from the esophageal mucosa of the Parnell's mustached bat Pteronotus parnellii , Davy's naked-backed bat Pteronotus davyi, Wagner's mustached bat Pteronotus personatus, and the ghost-faced bat Mormoops megalophylla in the State of Morelos, Mexico. This nematode is characterized by having a relatively short prostoma, 5-6 pairs of caudal papillae, and a smooth distal end of the tail in females. This is the first species of Spirura described from bats in the New World.