Helminths infecting froglets of the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) from Foggy Bottom Marsh, Michigan

Twelve helminth taxa (6 Nematoda, 5 Trematoda, and 1 Cestoda) were found in 43 froglets of the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens Schreber, from Fogg y Bottom Marsh in southern Michigan during July-October 1997. The cestode, Mesocestoides sp., had the highest mean intensity. Four taxa of larval trem atodes occurred in the froglets, with the strigeid metacercariae having the highest prevalence and mean abundance and the unidentified metacercariae h aving the highest mean intensity. Clinostomum sp. and Fibricola sp, were al so found. Of the nematodes, Oswaldocruzia priceae had the highest prevalenc e, and Rhabdias ranae had the highest mean intensity and mean abundance. La rval digeneans were the first members of the helminth community to become e stablished in the froglets, along with O. priceae and Cosmocer coides dukae . Taxonomically, 536 (40%) cestodes, 484 (36%) trematodes, and 309 (23%) ne matodes were found in the froglets. Although there are reports of parasites causing amphibian deformities, abnormalities were not observed in froglets that were commonly infected with larval helminths. One adult leopard frog was infected with Mesocestoides sp., O. priceae, R. ranae, and Gorgodera am plicava.