Capillaria brochieri n. sp. (Nematoda: Capillariinae) intestinal parasite of the chimpanzee (Pan paniscus) in Zaire

Capillaria brochieri n. sp. is described in a chimpanzee (Pan paniscus Schwartz, 1929) deceased from diarrhea. The male shows a unique structure of the caudal extremity: two flat paddles, with distal insertion, extend forward on each side of the ventral genital opening. The spicule (1,750 microns in length) shows a flattened anterior extremity and a tapered, curved posterior extremity. The cirrus is non-spiny and very long. Two narrow and very long lateral alae are present. The female bears a vulvar appendage. The egg shell shows an internal dense layer and an external layer of irregular width, showing pores and striations. The paper includes a study of the literature on Capillaria and Anatrichosoma from Primates and Man. C. brochieri is the first species of Capillaria described from the intestine of the chimpanzee. Because of the close analogies between chimpanzee's and man's helminthes, it is possible that C. brochieri has to be considered in human pathology.