EXPOSURE OF FIRST-STAGE LARVAE OF MUELLERIUS-CAPILLARIS (NEMATODA) TODESSICATION - SMALLER LARVAE AND REDUCED INFECTIVITY IN THE LAND-SNAIL HOST CANDIDULA-INTERSECTA

First-stage larvae (L1) of the nematode Muellerius capillaris are resi stant to dehydralation in desiccated faeces of definitive host. The Ll were exposed to increasing desiccation with different durations (non desiccated: 70% dry-matter (DM), 0 h: 70 % DM, 240 h: 90 % DMI 240 h; 95% DM, 48 h). The larger L3 in snails were recovered from infection u sing the less desiccated L3 and the infection totes were also higher. The size of L3 could be an indicator of the stress that L1 underwent b efore infection of the intermediate hosts.