New findings of trematodes of the superfamily Echinostomatoidea Looss, 1899 in birds from the Czech Republic

Abstract

Summary In the Czech Republic, 12 freshly dead birds belonging to four species were examined helminthologically during a period of 2015 – 2019. They were six Caspian gulls Larus cachinnans (Lariformes), three goosanders Mergus merganser (Anseriformes), two common snipes Gallinago gallinago, and one common curlew Numenius arquata (Charadriiformes). Concerning trematodes, five echinostomatoids species were found, namely Aporchis massiliensis (obtained from one positive Caspian gull), Echinoparyphium macrovitellatum (one positive from six Caspian gulls), Echinostoma academica (one positive common curlew), Echinostoma stantschinskii (one positive from two common snipes), and Echinochasmus mergi (one positive from three goosanders). All the five echinostomatoids species represent the first records for the helminth fauna of the Czech Republic; the fl ukes A. massiliensis and E. macrovitellatum are recorded for the first time in the Central Europe or the Europe at all, respectively.