The life cycle ofBrachylaima ruminae n. sp. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae), a parasite of rodents

Abstract

The life cycle of Brachylaima ruminae n.sp. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae), a duodenal parasite of rodents on the Mediterranean island of Formentera (Spain) is elucidated. The new species follows a terrestrial triheteroxenous life cycle. Eggs passed in the faeces of the definitive host must be ingested by a specific first intermediate host, the land snail Rumina decollata. Branched cercariogenous sporocysts develop in the digestive gland. Microcercous cercariae come out through the terminal birth pores of the branches. Cercariae shed by the snail are terrestrial, crawling on humid substratum. They contact the second intermediate host, another land snail, principally the species R. decollata and less frequently slugs and Helicids. Cercariae enter via the excretory pore and kidney duct to their specific final location, the kidney. Unencysted metacercariae develop in the kidney (also, less frequently, in the pedal glands) to the mature, infective stage. Infective metacercariae infest the definitive host when ingested together with the snail.

Brachylaima ezohelicis sp. nov. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) found from the land snail Ezohelix gainesi , with a note of an unidentified Brachylaima species in Hokkaido, Japan

“…nov. from E. gainesi in Hokkaido. The new species was at first thought to be an immigrant species due to the recent anthropogenic introduction of host animals, because the parasite showed morphological similarities to already known species from rodents of the genus Rattus [9,36,37,38,39]. However, the population genetics analysis of the parasite mtDNA suggests that the new species is originally indigenous to Hokkaido.…”

“…However, the population genetics analysis of the parasite mtDNA suggests that the new species is originally indigenous to Hokkaido. Several reports [37,40,41] …”

“…In the Russian Far East, Brachylaima apodemi has been found from the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius [50]. Brachylaima introduced into the taxonomy of Brachylaima [37], and guarantees beneficial effects on describing new species [39,40,41]. The cercarial chaetotaxy of B. ezohelicis sp.…”

The brachylaimidae (Trematoda: Digenea) of Australian native mammals and birds, including descriptions of Dasyurotrema n. g. and four new species of Brachylaima

“…Mas-Coma & Montoliu (1986) indicated that such variation can occur among brachylaimids. In the present study, two species, each found in three host species, were not found to vary morphologically between the hosts.…”

Natural infection of the land snails Xerolenta obvia, Zebrina detrita, andMonacha samsunensis by Brachylaima sp. metacercariae in Kastamonu, Turkey

“…Some researchers have previously reported the presence of metacercariae of Brachylaima spp. in the kidney, pericardial sac, body cavity near the female genital pore, and pedal glands of land snails (Mas-Coma and Montoliu, 1986;Thiengo and Amato, 1995;Butcher and Grove, 2001;Barger and Hnida, 2008;Barger, 2011;Segade et al, 2011;Valente et al, 2016;Nakao et al, 2017). The occurrence of Brachylaima sp.…”