The study was conducted in 2016-2017 on three sites in the Belogorye State Nature Reserve (Russia) located in the forest-steppe zone. These sites are 1) «Les na Vorskle», upland oak (Quercus robur) forest; 2) «Ostrasyevy Yary», ravine oak forest, grass-meadow steppe; 3) «Yamskaya Step'», Sury valley, shrublands and forb meadow steppe, Eremkin Log valley, upland oak forest, forb meadow steppe. The small mammals investigated in this present parasitological study were caught using snap traps. These traps were established in lines of 50 or 100 traps per line. In addition, single traps and cone-shape pitfall traps (average length of 30 m) were used. The caught rodents (118 specimens) concern five species: Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Sylvaemus flavicollis, Sylvaemus uralensis, and Apodemus agrarius. The total prevalence by helminthes was 72%. About 91% of the Muridae animals were infected, while the prevalence of infestation was 55.6% among the Cricetidae specimens. We registered 20 helminth taxa belonging to three classes, six orders, and 12 families. Among the trematodes only eurixenous species were found. Among the cestodes, eurixenous species predominated. Among the nematodes, eurixenous and stenoxenous species were present in almost equal proportion. Dominant species are characterised by maximal values of prevalence of infestation. There were Hymenolepis sp. (17%) among Plathelminthes, species of Syphacia (35.6%) and Heligmosomoides (27.1%) among Nematoda, including Syphacia stroma (17%) and Heligmosomoides polygyrus (14.4%). The other helminth species registered in the present study were either small in number (with prevalence of invasion from 2% to 14%) or rare (with prevalence of invasion less than 2%). Platynosomum muris (Trematoda, Dicrocoeliidae) and Pterothominx sadovskoi (Nematoda, Capillariidae) were reported for the first time in the Central Chernozem Region of Russia.
Abstract-A list of 30 species of the family Tabanidae recorded in Belgorod Province is provided, and data on the landscape-zonal distribution, typical biotopes, and dates of flight in the region are given for each species. The greatest number of horsefly species (24) was recorded in the southern forest-steppe subzone, and smaller numbers, in the central forest-steppe subzone (18) and the steppe zone (16). Half of the forest and forest-steppe species extend into the steppe zone while some southern species penetrate into the forest-steppe zone. The pattern of horsefly distribution is determined by the biotopic conditions. The boundaries of distribution of individual species do not distinctly correspond to those of the landscape subzones.
The available data on horsefl ies of the south of the Middle Russian forest-steppe and adjoining steppe territories within Belgorod and Voronezh provinces of Russia and Kharkov Province of Ukraine are summarized, analyzed, and clarifi ed. Altogether, 46 species and 1 subspecies of horsefl ies are recorded in the region, of which 15 species are restricted to the forest-steppe zone, 10 species, to the steppe zone, and 22 species are widespread or extend into the adjoining zones where they fi nd suitable conditions. The horsefl y faunal complexes in the three provinces have the same landscape-zonal structure. The forest and forest-steppe species form the greatest fraction comprising more than 60% of the total species number. The taiga-forest species have similar shares in Voronezh and Kharkov provinces: 16% in each, while in Belgorod Province such species comprise only 6%. The steppe and semi-desert species comprise 25% and 19% in Belgorod and Voronezh provinces, respectively; the fraction of steppe species in Kharkov Province is only 12%.
The purpose of the research is to identify the species composition of helminths in lake frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771)) caught in rivers of the Belgorod Region.Materials and methods. We studied frogs collected using a hydrobiological net in the rivers in fve Belgorod Region districts during the spring-summer 2016–2019. Species identifcation was performed according to morphological characteristics. The sex of the studied frogs was determined by gonads, and the age was determined based on size data. To assess infection of P. ridibundus with individual helminth species and their distribution, we used standard parameters for parasitological survey, namely, the prevalence, the amplitude of infection intensity, and the abundance index.Results and discussion. As a result of helminthological studies of 122 lake frogs, 17 helminth species were identifed which were widely specifc among representatives of the Ranidae family. Presumably, the identifed species form the basis of the species composition of frog helminths in rivers of the Region. Most of these types of helminths occur throughout the springsummer season without pronounced seasonal dynamics. It was noted that the number of helminth species simultaneously parasitizing in one frog increased with age. Opisthioglyphe ranae is the most often numerically dominant species in the examined areas of the Belgorod Region; and Diplodiscus subclavatus, Pleurogenes claviger and Codonocephalus urnigerus mtc have high abundance at some stations.
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