Prevalence, intensity and mean abundance of digenean parasites of the frog Fejervarya sp. (Anura: Dicroglossidae) of the South Western Ghats

Abstract

Four species of digenean parasites, Ganeo glottoides, Pleurogenoides cyanophlycti, Tremiorchis ranarum and Encyclometra colubrimurorum infecting the frog Fejervarya sp. (Anura: Dicroglossidae) of the Wayanad Region of the South Western Ghats are reported in this paper. Of the trematode parasites recovered, three, G. glottoides, P. cyanophlycti and T. ranarum, were adults and one, E. colubrimurorum, a metacercaria. Multiple infections were also recorded during the study. Prevalence of infection of G. glottoides, P. cyanophlycti, T. ranarum and E. coloubrimurorum were 1.27%, 0.84%, 0.84% and 0.84%, respectively, the intensity of infection 5, 1, 4.5 and 1.5 and the mean abundance 0.063, 0.008, 0.038 and 0.012, respectively. Mean abundance is a clear indication of the dispersion of parasites among hosts. The mean abundance, prevalence of infection and the intensity were at the maximum level in G. glottoides infection.