The Helminth Parasites of Rattus Fuscipes (Waterhouse) From Victoria, Including Description of Two New Nematode Species.

Abstract

In R. fuscipes from seven Victorian localities: 15 nematode and five cestode species were found; Bertiella anapolytica, Capillaria gastrica and Stammerinema suffodiax represented new host-parasite records for R. fuscipes, and the latter two were new helminth records for Australia. Capillaria praeputialis, sp. nov., and Paraustrostrongylus ratti, sp. nov., are described. Insight into the feeding habits and the interrelationships of R. fuscipes with other fauna was sought from the parasite data. One cestode (Choanotaenia ratticola) and two nematode species (Dipetalonema johnstoni and Stammerinema suffodiax) also occur in marsupials. Two helminth genera (Bertiella and Paraustrostrongylus) with extensive radiations in marsupial hosts are recorded from R.fuscipes. It is proposed that these data present further evidence for the concept of secondary transfer of parasite faunas between indigenous marsupials and rodents.