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22 August 2022 Host Phylogeny Is Not a Major Factor in Infection of the Salamander Desmognathus marmoratus by the Trematode Metagonimoides oregonensis
Carlos D. Camp, Cooper Kework, Noah Irwin, Jessica A. Wooten
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Abstract

In the southern Appalachian Mountains, U.S.A., the trematode Metagonimoides oregonensis, a parasite of raccoons and mink, primarily uses larvae of the salamander Desmognathus quadramaculatus as a second intermediate host. However, evidence suggests that a cryptic, sympatric species, Desmognathus folkertsi is parasitized at a very low level or not at all. We tested the hypothesis that Desmognathus marmoratus, which is phylogenetically a sister to D. folkertsi, also has a low infection rate. We collected larvae of sympatric D. quadramaculatus and D. marmoratus from a stream (Beech Creek) in Towns County, Georgia, U.S.A. Although prevalence and mean visible metacercariae were different in June, no difference was seen between the species in either measure of infection in August. Our results support earlier work that suggests that factors other than host phylogeny can be more important in influencing infection.

Carlos D. Camp, Cooper Kework, Noah Irwin, and Jessica A. Wooten "Host Phylogeny Is Not a Major Factor in Infection of the Salamander Desmognathus marmoratus by the Trematode Metagonimoides oregonensis," Comparative Parasitology 89(2), 55-58, (22 August 2022). https://doi.org/10.1654/COPA-D-22-00002
Published: 22 August 2022
KEYWORDS
Desmognathus marmoratus
Desmognathus quadramaculatus
host phylogeny
intensity
metacercaria
Metagonimoides oregonensis
prevalence
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