Parasites of marsupials from the Patagonia (Argentina)

R. VEGA; R. SAGE; N. BRUGNI

Congreso; VI Congreso Southern Connection; 2010

New World marsupials are an important component of mammal communities of South America. Among the Neotropical orders, Microbiotheria is more related to the Australian marsupials. The parasites described for Patagonian marsupials are: Pterygodermatites spinicaudatis, Allasogonoporus dromiciops, and Ixodes neuquenensis in Dromiciops gliroides (Microbiotheria) and Pterygodermatites kozeki in Thylamys pallidior and Lestodelphis halli (Didelphimorphia). Here, we report our parasitological study of these three species of Patagonian marsupials. During a survey of small mammals, 15 specimens of D. gliroides from the Lanín and the Nahuel Huapi National Parks, 4 of T. pallidior from Laguna Blanca National Park, and 1 of L. halli from near Clemente Onelli, were necropsied. Parasites were recovered and population indices were calculated. Within the 3 marsupial species 180 parasites were found. These parasites included: 4 species of Nematoda, 1 of Digenea, and 2 of Acarii for D. gliroides, 3 species of Nematoda for T. pallidior, and 3 species of Nematoda for L. halli. Only specimens of Pterygodermatites spp. were present in the 3 host, with the highest prevalence and medium intensity of infection in D. gliroides and T. pallidior. From the hosts studied 8 out of the 12 parasite species are new records. Dromiciops gliroides does not share parasite species with the other 2 host. These findings support the low phylogenetic affinity between D. gliroides and the remaining Neotropical marsupials.