FIRST COPROLOGICAL SURVEY OF HELMINTHS IN A WILD POPULATION OF BLACK CAPUCHIN MONKEYS (Sapajus nigritus) IN NORTHEASTERN ARGENTINA

AGOSTINI, I; PFOH, R; VANDERHOEVEN, E; NOTARNICOLA, J; BELDOMENICO, P

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2018 vol. 25 p. 269 - 281

0327-9383

Parasites play an important role in primate ecology. Although gastrointestinal parasites have beensurveyed in several primate taxa, there is still a substantial paucity of data for some species. Here we report thefirst coprological survey of helminths in a primate species, the wild black capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus),which is endemic to the Atlantic Forest. During three winters and one summer, we collected 665 faecal samplesfrom 44 identified individuals of two capuchin groups in Iguazú National Park, NE Argentina, for parasitologicalanalysis. Overall, we identified eight helminths: Filariopsis sp., Strongyloides sp., Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp.,a Subuluridae, a Physalopteridae, a Hymenolepididae cestode, and an undetermined Trematode. The Hymenolepididae(25-42%), Filariopsis sp. (15-42%), and Strongyloides sp. (11-27%) were the most prevalent parasitesregardless of the survey year, group and season. On average, infected capuchins harboured 1.12-1.26 parasitetaxa. The parasite community observed in the black capuchin monkeys resembled those found in other Cebidae.