Natural history of the parasite Waddycephalus in the Townsville region of north-east Australia

Waddycephalus is an understudied genus of pentastomids native to Australia and south-east Asia. The genus was recognized in 1922 but there has been little research on these pentastomid tongue worms over the last century. A few observations suggest a complex life cycle through 3 trophic levels. We ai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2023-05, Vol.150 (6), p.505-510
Main Authors: Midtun, Halvard Aas, Higgie, Megan, Hoskin, Conrad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Australia
Australia - epidemiology
Biodiversity
Cameras
Cysts
Dissection
Ecosystem
endoparasite
Feces
gecko
Geckos
Insects
Invertebrates
Life Cycle Stages
Life cycles
Lungs
Mesentery
Morphology
Natural history
parasite
Parasites
Pentastomida
Reptiles & amphibians
Respiratory system
Snakes
Spatial variations
Trophic levels
Waddycephalus
Woodlands
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Summary:Waddycephalus is an understudied genus of pentastomids native to Australia and south-east Asia. The genus was recognized in 1922 but there has been little research on these pentastomid tongue worms over the last century. A few observations suggest a complex life cycle through 3 trophic levels. We aimed to add knowledge to the Waddycephalus life cycle in woodland habitats in the Townsville region of north-east Australia. We used camera trapping to identify the most likely first-intermediate hosts (coprophagous insects), we conducted gecko surveys to identify multiple new gecko intermediate host species and we dissected road-killed snakes to identify additional definitive hosts. Our study paves the way for further research into the intriguing life cycle of Waddycephalus, investigation of spatial variation in prevalence and impacts of the parasite on host species.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182023000197