Dj. Forrester et al., PARASITIC HELMINTHS AND ARTHROPODS OF FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCKS (DENDROCYGNA BICOLOR) IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA, Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington, 61(1), 1994, pp. 84-88
Thirty fulvous whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna bicolor) collected during
1984-1985 from the Everglades Agricultural Area of southern Florida we
re examined for parasites. Twenty-eight species were identified and in
cluded 8 trematodes, 6 cestodes, 1 nematode, 4 chewing lice, and 9 mit
es. All parasites except the 4 species of lice and 1 of the mites are
new host records for fulvous whistling-ducks. None of the ducks were i
nfected with blood parasites. Every duck was infected with at least 2
species of helminths (mean 4.2; range 2-8 species). The most common he
lminths were the trematodes Echinostoma trivolvis and Typhlocoelum cuc
umevinum and 2 undescribed cestodes of the genus Diorchis, which occur
red in prevalences of 67, 63, 50, and 50%, respectively. Only 1 duck w
as free of parasitic arthropods; each of the other 29 ducks was infest
ed with at least 3 species of arthropods (mean 5.3; range 3-9 species)
. The most common arthropods included an undescribed feather mite (Ing
rassia sp.) and the chewing louse Holomenopon leucoxanthum, both of wh
ich occurred in 97% of the ducks.