COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF HELMINTH COMMUNITIES OF THE SALAMANDERS,ANEIDES-LUGUBRIS, BATRACHOSEPS-NIGRIVENTRIS, ENSATINA-ESCHSCHOLTZII (PLETHODONTIDAE), AND TARICHA-TOROSA (SALAMANDRIDAE) FROM CALIFORNIA

Component helminth communities of Aneides lugubris (N = 31), Batrachos eps nigriventris (N = 63), Ensatina eschscholtzii (N = 30), and Tarich a torosa (N = 68) from California were determined. The compound helmin th community consisted of 1 species of cestode, Bitegmen gerrhonoti an d 6 species of nematodes, Batracholandros salamandrae, Cosmocercoides variabilis, Falcaustra pretiosa, Megalobatrachonema gigantica, Oswaldo cruzia pipiens, and Rhabdias joaquinensis. The least diverse infracomm unities were associated with Batrachoseps nigriventris while T. torosa had the most diverse fauna. Only B. salamandrae occurred in each of t he 4 component communities. Each of the other helminth species was har bored by a single host species. New host records for B. salamandrae in B. nigriventris and T. torosa; O. pipiens in A. lugubris; C. variabil is in E. eschscholtzii; F. pretiosa and M. gigantica in T. torosa are established.