A description of the life stages of <i>Echinoparyphium elegans</i> (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae)

Abstract

The life cycle of Echinoparyphium elegans Looss 1899 is described from the Free State, South Africa.The freshwater snail Bulinus tropicus (Krauss 1848), the intermediate host of Calicophorort microbothrium (Paramphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder, 1901) in this area, serves as first intermediate host. The same snail species also harbours the metacercaria stage. Adults of this parasite were obtained by feeding infected snails to laboratory-reared rats. All stages of the life cycle were described by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. A natural infection was found in the cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus 1758).