Abstract
The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of gastrointestinal parasites of the European starling Sturnus vulgaris, an invasive bird from Argentina. Seventy-six birds were collected during the spring of 2007 and were examined for helminths. Six parasite species were found: one trematoda of the Echinostoma revolutum “group,” four nematodes (Synhimantus nasuta, Microtetrameres sp., Pterothominx exilis, and Ornithocapillaria ovopunctata), and one acanthocephalan (Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus). All species found have been recorded in Eurasia and/or North America previously, although present reports enlarge their geographical distribution. As expected in an invasive host, the parasite community shows much lower species richness (n = 6) than those observed in their native area (79 and 35 in the Eurasia and North America, respectively).
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank P. Sarmiento from the Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica de Barrido of the Museo de La Plata (FCNyM) and M.C. Estivariz (CEPAVE) for their help with the drawings. We want to especially thank Dr. MdR Robles for her comments and advice about Capillaridae. We also wish to thank the anonymous reviewer for the invaluable contribution in improving this manuscript.
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Appendix
Appendix
Helminth species with their collection numbers where they are stored at the Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina, are as follows: Echinostoma revolutum, MLP He 6732; Synhimantus (Dispharynx) nasuta, MLP He 6733; Microtetrameres sp., MLP He 6734; Pterothominx exilis, MLP He 6735; Ornithocapillaria ovopunctata, MLP He 6736; and Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) cylindraceus, MLP He 6737.
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Valente, R., Ibañez, L.M., Lorenti, E. et al. Helminth parasites of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) (Aves, Sturnidae), an invasive bird in Argentina. Parasitol Res 113, 2719–2724 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3928-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3928-3