Studies on trematode metacercariae infecting libellulid larvae from the Western Ghats, Wayanad region.

Abstract

Understanding the host specificity of trematode larvae is vital in predicting the mode of trophic level transfer of trematode parasites and their evolution. In this study, six species of trematode metacercariae, Eumegacetes sp., Orthetrotrema monostomum, Ganeo tigrinus, Mehraorchis sp., Pleurogenoides sp. and Phyllodistomum sp. infecting the larvae of the odonate family Libellulidae from the water bodies in the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats are recorded. The prevalence of infection of these metacercariae was 5.8%, 2.0%, 10.4%, 9.1%, 2.6% & 1.3%, respectively. Further, the mean intensity of infection was estimated to be 4.44, 1.67, 5.38, 6.21, 6.0 & 17.5 and the mean abundance 0.26, 0.03, 0.56, 0.56, 0.16 & 0.23 respectively.