FORMATION OF BIODIVERSITY OF THE FAUNA OF ECTO- AND ENDOPARASITES ON THE ARARAT PLAIN OF ARMENIA

Abstract

Our studies were aimed at analyzing biodiversity of ecto- and endoparasites of sheep, cattle, rabbits, domestic birds and dogs in the lowland zone of the Republic, with semidesert climate and height of 850 m above the sea level. This is one of the warm regions of the Republic. The studies performed have established moderate and high degree of animal infection with parasites. We identified 33 parasite species, mostly helminths (15 species), including 10 species of nematodes (Trichocephalus ovis, Nematodirus spathiger, Haemonchus contortus, Chabertia ovina, Dictyocaulus filaria, Muellerius capillaris, Protostrongylus spp., Passalurus ambiqus, Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum), 4 species of trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Paramphistomum cervi), 1 species of cestodes (Moniezia expansa), 9 protozoan species (Piroplasma bigeminum, Babesia ovis, Eimeria perforans, E. magna, E. irresidua, E. tenella, E. acervulina), 7 species of ticks, 1 species of insects, and 1 species of leishmaniasis vector, the mosquitos from the genus Phlebotomus. We registered 5 species of freshwater molluscs (Lymnaea auricularia, L. stagnalis, L. ovata, L. truncatula, Planorbis planorbis), and 2 species of terrestrial molluscs (Helicella derbentina, Napaeopsis hohenackeri).