Helminths of mustelids (Mustelidae) in Lithuania

Abstract

Mustelids (Mustelidae) the largest family in the order Carnivora. In Lithuania 9 species of these mammals are found. Parasites of mustelids have been studied in Lithuania about 40 years ago [1-2]. The objective of this study was to explore the helminthes of mustelids. The material was collected in different parts of Lithuania, in the period 2011–2014. This report is the result of a total helminthological dissection of individual organs of 25 mustelids: 2 pine martens (Martes martes), 4 stone martens (Martes foina), 10 European polecats (Mustela putorius), and 9 American minks (Neovison vison). A total 9 taxa of the parasitic worms were found: nematodes Crenosoma schachmatovae Kontrimavichus, 1969, Eucoleus aerophilus (Creplin, 1839), Aonchotheca putorii (Rudolphi, 1819), Molineus patens (Rudolphi, 1845), Nematoda g. sp., cestodes: Mesocestoides lineatus, Cestoda g. sp. and flukes Isthmiophora melis (Schrank, 1788) and Strigea strigis (Schrank, 1788) mesocercaria. I. melis in European polecat had the highest mean abundance (A = 391.3) and prevalence (P=90%) out of the all helminthes. I. melis also were found in American mink (A= 19.4, P=66%). Second species with high parameters of infection was Strigea strigis mesocercaria. In many cases the distribution of the helminthes among population of mustelids was aggregated (s²/A>1). The highest aggregation index was determined for I. melis (s²/A=635.5).