Community structure of parasitic helminths of birds of the genus Larus from Mar del Plata, Argentina

Community structure of parasite helminths of L. dominicanus (Lichtenstein, 1823), L. maculipennis (Lichtenstein, 1823) and L. cirrocephalus (Vieillot, 1818) were studied. Species richness of the three helminthological communi ties was composed by 11 species (4 digenean, 5 cestodes and 2 nematodes). T he nematode Pectinospirura argentata (Wehr, 1933) was the central species o f the helminthological community of L. dominicanus and the digenean Tanaisi a (Tanaisia) fedtschenkoi Skrjabin, 1924 of L. maculipennis and L. cirrocep halus respectively. The similitude between helminthological communities of L. dominicanus-L. maculipennis was 62.54 %; between L. dominicanus-L. cirro cephalus it was 61.54 %, and between L. maculipennis-L. cirrocephalus: 61.5 4 %. In L. dominicanus all associations between intestinal species were sig nificative with the exception of Alcataenia dominicana Spasskaja, 1971- Par icterotaenia porosa (Rudolphi, 1810); Stephanoprora denticulata (Rudolphi, 1802) Odhner, 1911-Tetrabothrius argentinus (Szidat, 1964) and T. argentinu s-Paricterotaenia porosa were significative in L. maculipennis and L. cirro cephalus respectively. Two site shifting cases were observed between Tetrab othrius argentinus-Paricterotaenia porosa and T, argentinus-Alcataenia domi nicana.