Parasites of the round goby, <i>Neogobius melanostomus</i> (Pallas, 1811), an invasive species in the Polish fauna of the Vistula Lagoon ecosystem

The round goby, <i>Neogobius melanostomus</i> (Pallas, 1811) was introducedinto southern Baltic waters (including the Vistula Lagoon) fromthe Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the early 1990s. This studydescribes the parasites of the round goby in its new environment.In 2004, 486 round goby specimens from the Vistula Lagoon wereexamined for parasites. The following taxa were identified:<i>Dermocystidium</i>sp.; Protozoa: <i>Trichodina domerguei domerguei</i> (Wallengren,1897); Digenea:<i>Cryptocotyle concavum</i> (Creplin, 1825),<i>Diplostomum</i> spp.,<i>Tylodelphys clavata</i> (Nordmann, 1831),<i>Bunodera luciopercae</i> (Müller, 1776);Cestoda:<i>Bothriocephalus scorpii</i> (Müller, 1776),<i>Eubothrium crassum</i> (Bloch, 1779),<i>Paradilepis scolecina</i> (Rudolphi, 1819),<i>Proteocephalus filicollis</i> (Rudolphi, 1802),<i>P. gobiorum</i> Dogel et Bychovsky, 1939,<i>Proteocephalus</i> sp.;Nematoda:<i>Anguillicola crassus</i> Kuwahara, Niimi et Itagaki, 1974,<i>Camallanus truncatus</i> (Rudolphi, 1814),<i>Contracaecum</i> spp.,<i>Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum</i> (Linstow, 1872),<i>Dichelyne minutus</i> (Rudolphi, 1819),<i>Hysterothylacium aduncum</i> (Rudolphi, 1802);Acanthocephala:<i>Echinorhynchus gadi</i> Müller, 1776,<i>Pomphorhynchus laevis</i> (Müller, 1776).The parasites found were all local species, already reported fromPoland. Except for <i>Dermocystidium</i> sp., <i>C. concavum</i>,<i>P. gobiorum</i>, and <i>D. minutes</i>, they have already been recorded inother fish species in the Vistula Lagoon. The prevalence andmean intensity of infection was low (18.3%; 4.0 indiv. - thisvalue does not include ciliates). The most frequent parasitesincluded <i>H. aduncum</i> (9.9%, 1.2 indiv.) and <i>A. crassus</i> (9.1%,1.2 indiv.). In addition, <i>Dermocystidium</i> sp., <i>B. luciopercae</i>,<i>E. crassum</i>, <i>P. scolecina</i>, <i>P. filicollis</i>, <i>C. truncatus</i> and <i>C. ephemeridarum</i> are reported from the round goby for the first time. As the fishhas only recently appeared in the Vistula Lagoon, its parasitic fauna has not yet developed to the full

Epibionts (<i>Paracineta</i>) and parasites (<i>Ellobiopsis</i>) on copepods from Spitsbergen (Kongsfjorden area)

Parasites of the genus Ellobiopsis and epibiontic ciliatesof the genus Paracineta were found on the body surface of somecopepod taxa collected in the Kongsfjorden area (west Spitsbergen,Svalbard) during summer 2002. Paracineta sp. individuals were noted in Metridia longaand Paraeuchaeta norvegica (0.5% of the population infectedin each species). This study provides the first record of thepresence of Paracineta sp. in the latter species. Remarkably,epibionts were attached exclusively to females. Calanus finmarchicus and C. glacialis were invadedby Ellobiopsis spp., but the level of infection was generally low (0.06% and0.09% of the population infected, respectively). Parasite distributionwithin both host populations was similar - 80% of infected specimenswere at copepodid stage V. This study also provides the firstrecord of C. glacialis serving as a host to Ellobiopsis

Modern Strategies for Diagnosis and Treatment of Parasitic Diseases

Parasites are very widely distributed in the environment and form complex relationships with their hosts, forming host–parasite systems [...

The Biodiversity of Demodecid Mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata), Specific Parasites of Mammals with a Global Checklist and a New Finding for Demodex sciurinus

Demodecidae are the most specialized parasitic mites of mammals; they typically inhabit the skin, but they have been found in other tissues and organs. They can cause demodecosis (a disease which is hazardous and difficult to cure) in humans, domestic animals and livestock. They are parasites with high host and topical specificity. They have been found for most orders of mammals, and they are common in the populations of numerous host species. Therefore, they not only constitute an important subject of veterinary and medical study, but also comprise an excellent model for faunistic and parasitological analyses concerning different aspects of functioning and evolution of the host&ndash;parasite relationship. The current level or knowledge of demodecid mites is irregular and fragmentary, and numerous questions require elaboration and ordering, from the taxonomic diversity to geographic distribution and relations with hosts. Such data may be of use i.a. for the development of more efficient and reliable diagnostic methods, as well as understanding the etiology and pathogenesis mechanisms of demodecosis, currently a contentious issue. The present paper lists all formally-described valid species of demodecid mites, together with other functioning specific names, verified and with comments on their status. This is significant for correct species identification and demodecosis diagnostics. The list has been drawn up on the basis of data acquired in the period 1842&minus;2020. It contains 122 valid species of parasite, including their hosts and geographic distribution, data on parasitism, as well as only the second record of Demodex sciurinus in Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris in over 100 years since its initial discovery

Demodex crocidurae, a New Demodecid Mite (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Parasitizing the Lesser White-Toothed Shrew and a Redescription of Demodex talpae from European Mole with Data on Parasitism in Soricomorpha

Only six parasitic species of Demodecidae mite have thus far been described from the Soricomorpha, these being associated with the common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, and the Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907 (two species from each host), and with the lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas, 1811) and the European mole Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758 (one from each host species). Presently, Demodex crocidurae, a new species, has been described from the territory of Poland for C. suaveolens; in order to confirm its validity, it was necessary to redescribe D. talpae Hirst, 1921, from T. europaea, a demodecid species first described by Hirst in 1921 from England and then noted only in Poland. Both species colonized the hairy skin of the body in their hosts, where no disease symptoms of infestation were observed. However, D. crocidurae showed higher infection parameters (prevalence 100%, mean intensity 11.7, intensity range 3–26 individuals) than those of D. talpae (30.0%, 4.7, 2.0–8.0), possibly due to different host biology

Occurrence of ticks (Parasitiformes, Ixodida, Amblyommidae) on the skin of African buffalo Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779) (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) originating from an area of the Republic of South Africa

Most ticks of the genus Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus are typical ectoparasites of bovine. However, information about survival in different environmental conditions or coexistence of different species is lacking. Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, 1844, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann, 1901 and R. maculatus Neumann, 1901 were found in the skin (fixed in the salt) of an African buffalo Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779), brought to Poland from the Republic of South Africa. Most of the ticks were still alive during their collection

The Occurrence of Skin Mites from the Demodecidae and Psorergatidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Families in Bats, with a Description of a New Species and New Records

The bat skin mites from the closely-related Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families occur synhospitally, populating the same host species and perhaps neighboring microhabitats. However, data on their occurrence and parasitism are fragmentary and dispersed. Thus far, 27 Demodecidae and 18 Psorergatidae species have been described, but the coexistence of mites from both families was only demonstrated in six species of bats. This article presents a description of Demodex pusillus sp. nov. from Nyctalus noctula, including a new host record (first observation of demodecid mites in Nyctalus) and a new record concerning the occurrence of Psorergatoides kerivoluae in Plecotus auritus. It also includes an updated global checklist of the occurrence of Demodecidae and Psorergatidae in Chiroptera, including data on their records/distribution and location in their hosts. In both studied families, the mites exhibit preferences, and even topographic specificity, colonizing different microhabitats in the host, including the eye region (e.g., Meibomian glands of the eyes, corneal surface and eyelid vault), wing membranes and hairy skin on the body. Such colonization of separate microhabitats enables different species to co-occur within the same host, while the total number of parasites determines the level of parasite load, with higher levels being associated with the incidence of disease symptoms. It is worth mentioning that Demodex pusillus sp. nov. is the smallest known representative of the Demodecidae family and one of the smallest animals (70–80 micrometers in length)

The Occurrence of Skin Mites from the Demodecidae and Psorergatidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Families in Bats, with a Description of a New Species and New Records

The bat skin mites from the closely-related Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families occur synhospitally, populating the same host species and perhaps neighboring microhabitats. However, data on their occurrence and parasitism are fragmentary and dispersed. Thus far, 27 Demodecidae and 18 Psorergatidae species have been described, but the coexistence of mites from both families was only demonstrated in six species of bats. This article presents a description of Demodex pusillus sp. nov. from Nyctalus noctula, including a new host record (first observation of demodecid mites in Nyctalus) and a new record concerning the occurrence of Psorergatoides kerivoluae in Plecotus auritus. It also includes an updated global checklist of the occurrence of Demodecidae and Psorergatidae in Chiroptera, including data on their records/distribution and location in their hosts. In both studied families, the mites exhibit preferences, and even topographic specificity, colonizing different microhabitats in the host, including the eye region (e.g., Meibomian glands of the eyes, corneal surface and eyelid vault), wing membranes and hairy skin on the body. Such colonization of separate microhabitats enables different species to co-occur within the same host, while the total number of parasites determines the level of parasite load, with higher levels being associated with the incidence of disease symptoms. It is worth mentioning that Demodex pusillus sp. nov. is the smallest known representative of the Demodecidae family and one of the smallest animals (70&ndash;80 micrometers in length)

A new species and new host record of Demodecidae (Acariformes:<em> Prostigmata</em>) associated with the bandicoot rat (Rodentia: Muridae) from Lao PDR with data on parasitism and a checklist of the demodecid mites of rodents

International audienceA new species, Demodex bandicotae sp. nov. (Acariformes: Demodecidae), is described based on adult stages from the hairy skin of the greater bandicoot rat Bandicota indica (Bechstein, 1800), collected in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos). Parasites were noted in 41.7% of bandicoot rats, with a mean intensity of 5.6 parasites in the tested skin fragments of the host. This is the first report on Demodecidae mites in rodents of the genus Bandicota Gray, 1873. A checklist of demodecid mites in rodents worldwide is also provided