Helminth communities of herons (Aves: Ardeidae) in southern Italy.
The helminth communities of nine species of herons from southern Italy were studied and compared. Of 24 taxa found including seven digeneans, seven nematodes, six cestodes and four acanthocephalans, only five taxa were found in more than one heron species, and five of the 21 taxa that could be identified to species level were classified as 'heron specialists'. The total number of helminth species per heron species ranged from 1 in Botaurus stellaris to 9 in Ixobrychus minutus with infection levels generally low. A statistical comparison was carried out for herons with a sample size >5. At the infracommunity level, only I. minutus clearly differed from other heron species. Diversity parameters of heminth infracommunities did not significantly differ among heron species. Species richness ranged from just 0.3 to 2.3 helminth taxa per individual host, and the Brillouin index, from 0 to 0.3. Total helminth abundance did not exceed 40 worms per host except in a single case of Ardeola ralloides. Infracommunities clearly were dominated by single helminth species. The present study confirms a depauperate helminth community in herons from southern Italy. Comparison with data from Spain and the Czech Republic showed strong quantitative similarities with values obtained in the present study. Results also suggest that the composition of local helminth communities are strongly variable depending on geographical location as is demonstrated by comparison with data from other European areas. However, whether herons in Europe naturally host depauperate helminth communities or these communities are depauperate because of other factors is unknown.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: marisant@libero.it.
Mario
M
Santoro
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
Nicola
N
D'Alessio
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
Francesca
F
Di Prisco
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Vincenzo
V
Veneziano
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Galiero
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
Anna
A
Cerrone
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute n. 2, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy.
Lorella
L
Barca
Helm West Laboratory, Missoula, MT, United States.
John M
JM
Kinsella
Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y biologia Evolutiva, Departamento de Zoologia, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Francisco J
FJ
Aznar
D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds; D005260:Female; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058507:Host Specificity; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male
Birds; Helminths; Host specificity; Parasitic worms