Parasites of the Water Rat, Hydromys-Chrysogaster, From Victoria and South-Australia

Abstract

Eighty-one H. chrysogaster from nineteen localities in Victoria and South Australia were examined for helminths. One acanthocephalan Corynosoma stanleyi: and one cestode, Hymenolepis diminuta, were found. Of the trematodes six were identified to species: Echinoparyphium hydromyos, Fibricola minor, F. intermedius, Microphaflus minutus, Maritrema oocysta and Plagiorchis jaenschi; two were placed in the families Heterophyidae, and Psilostomidae, both new locality records; and two new species Notocotylus sp. nov. and Paramonostomum sp. nov. were found. There were six nematode species: Synhimantus australiensis, Antechiniella suffodiax, Antechiniella sp., Woolleya hydromyos as well as Parastrongyloides sp. and a heteroxynematid both new host records. H. diminuta was the most prevalent helminth, with M. minutus and S. australiensis the most prevalent trematode and nematode respectively. A checklist of helminths from H. chrysogaster is given and comparisons between infections of Tasmanian, Victorian and South Australian hosts are made. Thirty-three of these water rats, trapped live in Victoria, were also examined for protozoa. Klossiella hydromyos, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis sp. were found. Twenty of the Victorian hosts were examined for ectoparasites. Three mites; Paraspeleognathopsis derricki, Murichirus parahydromys, and Radfordia sp.; one tick, Zxodes tasmani; one louse, Hoplopleura bidentata; and three flea species, Acanthopsylla rothschildi and Echidnophaga spp. were found.