Acanthocephalan everted cystacanths were detected in the intestines of 61 out of 555 feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped between May 2003 and April 2005 in the western region of mainland Japan (Honshu). All collected specimens were identified as the species of birds including 3 Centrorhynchus species (C. bazaleticus, C. elongatus, and C. teres), Sphaerirostris lanceoides, Plagiorhynchus ogat...

The retractable proboscis of acanthocephalans is equipped with hooks for attachment to the intestine definitive host. Throughout their evolutionary history, have developed a variety ways maximize anchoring host gut and avoid dislodgement. Hooks vary in size shape along longitudinal axis proboscis, texture, structure, hardness as well contribution absorption nutrients. also chemical composition,...

Few endoparasite species are pigmented. Acanthocephalans are an exception however, with several species being characterised by yellow to orange colouration both at the immature (cystacanth) and adult stages. However, the functional and adaptive significance of carotenoid-based colourations in acanthocephalans remains unclear. One possibility is that the carotenoid content of acanthocephalan cys...

A combined and updated checklist of helminth and protozoan parasites of birds in New Zealand is provided. This checklist, which is divided into two parts, includes a total of 203 parasites (68 nematodes, 40 cestodes, 44 trematodes, 11 acanthocephalans and 40 protozoans) from 116 hosts.

Larval helminths often share individual intermediate hosts with other larval worms of the same or different species. In the case of immature acanthocephalans capable of altering the phenotype of their intermediate hosts, the benefits or costs of host sharing can be evaluated in terms of increased or decreased probability of transmission to a suitable definitive host. Competitive interactions am...

Sir, Acanthocephalan (“spiny-headed”) worms are enteroparasites of birds characterised by a retractile proboscis armed with rows of thorns (Lacina & Bird, 2000). They penetrate the intestinal mucosa with the proboscis causing inflammation and nodules (Heidenreich, 1997). An arthropod (insect or mollusk) becomes the first intermediate host ingesting acanthocephalan eggs that contain the larvae (...

Three hundred and seventy-five acanthocephalans, Moniliformis clarki, were removed from the small and large intestines of a gray squirrel from Arkansas County, Arkansas (USA). This is the first report of M. clarki from Arkansas. Enteric lesions, including distension, perforating ulcers, enteritis, crypt hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and occlusions of the intestinal tract were observed, ...

Nine species of nematodes, unidentified larval nematodes, three species of trematodes, two species of acanthocephalans and a single species of chewing louse were collected from 1993 to 1995 from 25 introduced whooping cranes (Grus americana) in Florida (USA). In spite of a quarantine procedure involving anthelmintic therapy, three helminth parasites may have been introduced from captive populat...