Life History Studies on Taenia Mustelae Gmelin, 1790 and the Taxonomy of Certain Taenioid Cestodes From Mustelidae

Abstract

Taenia mustelae Gmelin, 1790 (= T. tenuicollis Rudolphi, 1819) is proposed as the valid name for the small-hooked cestode from European brown weasel, and Taenia martis (Zeder, 1803) n. comb. (= T. intermedia Rudolphi, 1810) is proposed for the large-hooked cestode from European marten. T. mustelae adults were found naturally in the short-tailed weasel, Mustela erminea, and T. martis adults in the pine marten, Martes americana in North America; the latter constitutes a new host record. Larvae were recovered from 10 species of rodents of which Citellus franklinii, Eutamias minimus, Marmota monax, Tamias striatus, Synaptomys cooperi, and Zapus hudsonius are new host records. Experimental infections produced by feeding T. mustelae eggs were followed in eight species of rodents. In one animal mature scoleces occurred as early as 26 days after eggs were fed, yet no fully developed scoleces were present even after 104 days in another animal in the same feeding. Such feedings of eggs produced multiscolex larvae (up to 26 scoleces), or multiscolex and uniscolex larvae simultaneously, but never uniscolex larvae exclusively, although these were found occasionally in nature. Normal, fully developed scoleces were present on larvae 318 days old. Growth of T. mustelae larvae in Peromyscus maniculatus and the host reaction is described in detail. Multiscolex larvae from a natural infection fed to a mink produced adult T. mustelae.

Studies on the Helminth Fauna of Alaska. XXXVI. Parasites of the Wolverine, Gulo gulo L., with Observations on the Biology of Taenia twitchelli Schwartz, 1924

“…The development of the mature larva from the primary vesicle of T. twitchelli appears to follow about the same pattern as described by Freeman (1956) for the multiscolex-type larva of T. mustelae Gmelin, 1790. In fact, some of the smaller larvae of T. twitchelli, such as those from lemmings, probably would be macroscopically indistinguishable from those of T. mustelae.…”

“…The characteristics of the rostellar hooks serve to distinguish the adult T. twitchelli from both T. mustelae Gmelin, 1790, and T. martis (Zeder, 1803), the only other species of Taenia known from mustelids in boreal regions (cf. Freeman, 1956). …”

Taenia pencei n. sp. from the Ringtail, Bassariscus astutus (Carnivora: Procyonidae), in Texas, U.S.A.

“…In his study, Freeman (1956) identified as Tae. martis an immature cestode from the nearctic marten, M americana, from Ontario, Canada, on the basis of the form and dimensions of the rostellar hooks, of which large and small measured 146 and 133, respectively.…”

“…hydatigena were later more adequately defined by Joyeux and Baer (1936). Freeman (1956) considered the work of Baer (1934, 1936), and noting the large size of rostellar hooks they reported for Tae. intermedia and noting as well that Dubnitskii (1952) had listed Tae.…”

Post-embryonic development and ultrastructural characteristics of the polycephalic larva of Taenia parva Baer, 1926 (Cyclophyllidea, Taeniidae)

“…The exogenous budding in T. crassiceps was studied by Freeman (1962). He also examined T. mustelae, in which a single oncosphere may give rise to more than one metacestode by the formation of multiple scoleces (Freeman 1956). Gvozdev and Agapova (1963) Frank 2000), T. krepkogorski and T. selousi (see below for discussion on the significance of the scolex retraction or invagination).…”