Survival of Pseudodiplorchis americanus (Monogenea) under controlled environmental conditions

Abstract

Populations of Pseudodiplorchis americanus infecting the desert toad, Scaphiopus couchii, have previously been shown to be remarkably stable from year to year, despite wide variation in conditions promoting invasion. The present study aimed to document the survival of both first-year and pre-existing adults under controlled laboratory temperatures. First-year worm survival in experimentally infected toads was shown to be very high for the first 5 months after migration to the definitive site, and there was no difference in survival at 25 degrees C or 15-20 degrees C. There was also no density-dependent survival during the same period: 20% of worms were recovered from the host urinary bladder, irrespective of initial intensities. After the first 5 months, there was a progressive loss of worms in toads maintained at 25 degrees C but not at 15-20 degrees C. Pre-existing adult populations were shown to be virtually identical to those under natural conditions for the first 4 months after toad capture. Following this, at 25 degrees C, populations declined and no pre-existing adults were recovered after 11-14 months. There was no such loss of pre-existing adults at 15-20 degrees C for up to 14 months. A diurnal temperature cycle of 20-34 degrees C (simulating temperatures during the desert summer) did not lead to a significant loss of worms. These observations suggest that during one annual cycle in the desert, when temperatures remain above 20 degrees C for less than 6 months, most adult worms established in the host urinary bladder will survive to the next transmission opportunity. However, the similar longevity of first-year and pre-existing adults in laboratory maintained toads shows that loss of worms cannot be due solely to parasite ageing. Temperature-dependent survival of P. americanus is suggestive of a host immune response. Low temperatures, which inhibit parasite growth and development, are essential for the survival of P. americanus.