title: Helminth parasites of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) (Aves, Sturnidae), an invasive bird in Argentina.
abstract: The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of gastrointestinal parasites of the European starling Sturnus vulgaris, an invasive bird from Argentina. Seventy-six birds were collected during the spring of 2007 and were examined for helminths. Six parasite species were found: one trematoda of the Echinostoma revolutum "group," four nematodes (Synhimantus nasuta, Microtetrameres sp., Pterothominx exilis, and Ornithocapillaria ovopunctata), and one acanthocephalan (Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus). All species found have been recorded in Eurasia and/or North America previously, although present reports enlarge their geographical distribution. As expected in an invasive host, the parasite community shows much lower species richness (n = 6) than those observed in their native area (79 and 35 in the Eurasia and North America, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT), Jujuy s/n, 3370, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones Province, Argentina.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Lucía Mariel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ibañez
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorenti
authors.forename: Vanina Dafne
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Fiorini
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montalti
authors.forename: Julia Inés
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000049:Acanthocephala / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D058865:Introduced Species; D008297:Male; D009348:Nematoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009656:North America; D058974:Phylogeography; D046749:Starlings / Q000469:parasitology*