Two populations of the species Diastolaimus grossus have been obtained from bark of trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic. The species is described and characterized in detail using morphological techniques (light and electron scanning microscopy) and morphometrical (Gower General Similarity coefficient of morphological characters) and molecular analyses, including phylogenetic analysis of all related and already sequenced species of the family Chambersiellidae. Morphological and molecular analyses, based on 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequences, show that the family Chambersiellidae is polyphyletic, being the subfamily Chambersiellinae related with Cephalobomorpha and Tylenchomorpha, and the subfamily Macrolaiminae is located into Panagrolaimomorpha. The genus Diastolaimus, previously belonging to Macrolaiminae, is transferred to Chambersiellinae. Diastolaimus mexicanus is proposed as a junior synonym of D. grossus.

The morphogenesis and the distribution along the digestive tract of Trichostrongylus retortaeformis(Zeder, 1800) (Nematoda) were studied in detail in one of its natural hosts, Oryctolagus cuniculus. Worm-free rabbits were each infected with T. retortaeformis larvae and were killed at 12 h post-infection (HPI) and on each day from 1 to 15 days post-infection (DPI). The distribution of worm populations along the small intestine was assessed. At the different dates of infection, more than 80% of the population was recovered from the first third of the intestine with more than 50% occuring in the first 30 cm. For each date, morphological descriptions of the different stages of the life cycle were also provided. In addition, adult worms collected from naturally infected rabbits from France were redescribed.

The Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola is a widespread woodland specialist and a widely harvested quarry species throughout its European wintering areas, including Britain. Woodcock are prone to cestodiasis, but prevalence levels and possible effects on body condition remain under-studied. We studied the prevalence, abundance and intensity of cestodiasis in 161 woodcock harvested in four British regions in December and January during two consecutive winters (2013/14 and 2014/15). Cestodiasis prevalence was 90%, and there was no difference in prevalence between birds harvested in Cornwall, Wessex, East Anglia and Scotland. High prevalence levels were explained by the fact that earthworms (Lumbricidae) are intermediate hosts for some cestode species and also the most important dietary component of woodcock. The distribution of cestodiasis in woodcock was aggregated, such that when using the total length of cestodes per sample to measure abundance, 65% of the birds had less than 80 cm. Cestodiasis abundance varied between sexes across regions but the intensity was not affected by region, sex, age or their interactions. The intensity of cestodiasis was positively correlated with fresh weight and pectoral mass, while no significant correlation was found with the abdominal fat pad. Our results suggest that, despite high prevalence levels and intensity of cestodiasis in woodcock, host body condition is not significantly affected and hence it is unlikely that cestodiasis has a major effect on woodcock population dynamics.

During the summer and autumn of 1994, 1995 and 1996, 406 juvenile herring caught off the Swedish west coast were examined for parasites. Amongst those found was the digenean Pseudobacciger harengulae, which represents new host and locality records for this parasite. Pseudobacciger harengulae has been reported from several species of clupeiformes, mostly from tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The morphology of P. harengulae is described and compared with earlier descriptions of P. harengulae and P. manteri. The possible relationships between P. harengulae and P. manteri are discussed and the validity of the P. manteri is questioned. Most of the specimens (75%) of P. harengulae were found in the pyloric caeca and the remainder (25%) in the intestine.

A new species of the genus Metaxonchium is described from a natural habitat in Iran. Metaxonchium magnum sp. n. is characterized by its 3.62–4.65 mm long body, lip region cap-like and offset by constriction and 13–16 μm wide, odontostyle fusiform and 14–17 μm long, neck 1016–1359 μm long, both parts of the pharynx separated by a short isthmus-like narrowing, pharyngeal expansion occupying 74.2 (73–77)% of total neck length in females and 70.4 (66–72)% in males, female genital system mono-opistho-ovarian, didelphic, anterior genital branch a large uterine sac with a small terminal mass occupying 7–14% of body length, posterior uterus long and tripartite with a Z-like differentiation, V = 50–52, caudal region short and rounded (24–41 μm, c = 99–161, c′ = 0.5–0.7), spicules 90–105 μm long and 10–13 spaced ventromedian supplements with hiatus. Analysis of D2–D3 28S rDNA sequences of the new species suggests that Metaxonchium might not be a monophyletic taxon, a matter that should be confirmed after future research.

Schistosomiasis is a serious health issue in tropical regions, and natural compounds have gained popularity in medical science. This study investigated the potential effects of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) on Biomphalaria [B.] alexandrina snails (Ehrenberg, 1831), Schistosoma [S.] mansoni (Sambon, 1907) miracidium, and cercariae. The chemical composition of PSO was determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A bioassay was performed to evaluate the effects of PSO on snails, miracidia, and cercariae. The results showed no significant mortality of B. alexandrina snails after exposure to PSO, but it caused morphological changes in their hemocytes at 1.0 mg/ml for 24 hours. PSO exhibited larvicidal activity against miracidia after 2 hours of exposure at a LC50 of 618.4 ppm. A significant increase in the mortality rate of miracidia was observed in a dose- and time-dependent manner, reaching a 100% death rate after 10 minutes at LC90 and 15 minutes at LC50 concentration. PSO also showed effective cercaricidal activity after 2 hours of exposure at a LC50 of 290.5 ppm. Histological examination revealed multiple pathological changes in the digestive and hermaphrodite glands. The PSO had genotoxic effects on snails, which exhibited a significant increase [p≤0.05] in comet parameters compared to the control. The findings suggest that PSO has potential as a molluscicide, miracidicide, and cercaricide, making it a possible alternative to traditional molluscicides in controlling schistosomiasis.

1. Four worms were recovered from the subcutaneous connective tissue of a leopard. Of these two males and one female were identified as Filaria martis Gmelin, 1790 with the measurements given and a female described as a new species under the name Filaria russelli.

2. This finding is the first record of the genus Filaria Mueller, 1787 in a leopard.

A medium containing inorganic salts, vitamins and amino-acids is described for the in vitro cultivation of the amphistome, Orthocoelium scoliocoelium, from the rumen of buffalo. Based on the properties of rumen fluid, this medium promoted and sustained normal egg production, at 37°C temperature and pH 7·4 to 7·8 for 15 days. In contrast to other media used, no patho-physiological alterations except abnormal cytoplasmic lipid, were detected. Since the parasites produced normal eggs, it is concluded that this medium is suitable for short-term cultivation of the parasites.

Four strains of entomopathogenic nematodes were isolated with a live trap method in southern Poland. The isolates were identified as Steinernema silvaticum based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. Infective juveniles of Polish S. silvaticum isolates differ in body length from S. weiseri (951 vs 740 μm, respectively), and in the hyaline tail portion from S. kraussei (48 vs 38%, respectively). First-generation males of S. silvaticum are longer than those of S. kraussei, S. weiseri and S. ichnusae (1829 vs 1400, 1180 and 1341 μm, respectively). Males of S. silvaticum and a sister species S. kraussei can be distinguished by the distance from the anterior end to the nerve ring (142 vs 105 μm), spicule (66 vs 49 μm) and gubernaculum length (45 vs 33 μm), and the presence of a mucron. The analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), D2-D3 and cox1 sequences of the tested nematodes revealed differences of 3–5%, 3% and 12–13%, respectively, from S. kraussei strains. The phylogeny of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicated close relationships of the Polish S. silvaticum isolates with S. kraussei, S. oregonense and S. cholashanense. The reproductive isolation of the studied isolates was confirmed by hybridization tests with other European feltiae–kraussei group representatives. This study has supplemented the original description of S. silvaticum with morphological and morphometric characterization of the first-generation males and females. This is also the first molecular study of this species based on a multi-gene approach.

A satisfactory antigen for use in serological studies of nematodiasis in sheep has been prepared from Bunostomum trigonocephalum.

The investigations are outlined and a method for its routine preparation from field material is described.

ALTHOUGH some marsupials are insectivorous or carnivorous in diet many others are vegetarian in diet and frequently cause appreciable damage to pastures and crops and therefore are of considerable economic importance. Recently, during the course of searching the literature for references to helminth infections in marsupials it was observed that, in certain cases, hosts other than marsupials were involved and in some instances were of economic importance in that they were domesticated animals. Whether or not marsupials assist in the spread of parasitic infection is somewhat inadequately dealt with in the literature but one cannot lose sight of their acting as reservoir hosts.

Stibocaptate (Astiban, Hoffman - La Roche) killed third stage larvae of Brugia pahangi in vitro at 50 p.p.m. but had no effect on microfilariae at 1 × 104 p.p.m. No larvae developed in infected mosquitoes fed 1% stibocaptate in 10% sucrose. It was neither micro-nor macrofilaricidal in neither jirds or cats but did affect embryogenesis.

Taylor (1928), in an attempt to infect starlings with the gapeworm, was able to infect six starlings out of fifteen which had been dosed, nine of which died before any observations could be made. The value of this experiment is, however, somewhat doubtful owing to the possibility of previous infection in the starlings experimented with, and the author concludes that in one bird, such was the case, owing to the size of the worms found.

Comparative histochemical studies of glycosidase activity were carried out in Clonorchis sinensis, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Fasciola hepatica, Dipylidium caninum, Hymenolepis nana, Ascaris suum, Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Trichuris vulpis and Dirofilaria immitis. The enzymes examined were: N-Acetyl-α-Glucosaminidase (Ec 3.2.1.30), α-Glucuronidase (Ec 3.2.1.31) and α-Galactosidase (Ec 3.2.1.23). There were variations in enzyme distribution and intensity among the species and also between trematodes and nematodes; no marked positive reaction for these enzymes occurred in cestodes. In some trematodes, the caeca, especially in the brush border, and the tegument, subtegumental cells and testes, were reactive to the enzymes. In nematodes, although there was variation in reactions among species, N-acetyl-α-glucosaminidase and α-galactosidase were localized in the hypodermis and lateral cords excluding the excretory canal, and coelomocytes, intestinal epithelium and the walls of the reproductive systems.

Infection rates of larval Pomphorhynchus laevis Mu¨ller, 1776 (Acanthocephala) were studied in its intermediate host Echinogammarus stammeriS. Karaman, 1931 (Amphipoda). Crustaceans were collected monthly, from July 1990 to July 1997, at two sites on the River Brenta (northern Italy). Of over 50,000 E. stammeri examined, more than 24% were parasitized with P. laevis larvae. The differences in the prevalence of infection between the two stations were significant. The intensity of infection varied from one to 15 acanthocephalans per host. Amphipods with multiple infections constituted 28–32% of each monthly sample. During the 7 years of investigation, the prevalence of infection typically reached its highest and lowest levels in the summer and spring months, respectively. Acanthocephalan larvae showed no preference for host sex. Infected ovigerous females of E. stammeri were found carrying eggs or juveniles in their brood pouches, but had fewer and smaller eggs. Pomphorhynchus laevis larvae co-occurred with Acanthocephalus clavula (Dujardin, 1845) and also with the tapeworm Cyathocephalus truncatus (Pallas, 1781) in the same host.

Two new species belonging to two different families of the super-family Aphelenchoidea are described. The material was obtained from the roots of tobacco plants, Nicotiana tabacum.

The worms were killed by hot water, fixed in F.A.A. solution, cleared in 1% glycerine alcohol mixture and mounted in pure glycerine.