First record of the natural infection of Chondrus tournefortianus (Mollusca: Pulmonata) by Dicrocoeliidae (Digenea) larval stages in Kastamonu, Turkey

Abstract

The prevalence of larval stages of Dicrocoeliidae in the land snail, Chondrus tournefortianus (Férussac, 1821), found in Kastamonu, Turkey, was investigated and some of its morphological and histological features were determined. The snail samples were collected in spring and autumn. C. tournefortianus has been reported for the first time as being an intermediate host in the life cycle of Dicrocoeliid (Trematoda: Digenea) species. The prevalence of the infection in Kastamonu, Turkey was 2.27%, with the highest value occurring in October.