Dr. Murai Éva - Gubányi András szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 29-30. (Budapest, 1997)

© Hungarian Natural History Museum Hungarian Society of Parasitologists Helminthological investigation of Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766 in Spain — A mustelid broadly spread all over Western Europe and hardly studied from a parasitic viewpoint j. TORRES

1

, J. MIQUEL

1

, C. FELIU

1,2

, M. MOTJE

1 and j .c. CASANOVA

1 Laboratori de Parasitologia Departament de Microbiologic! i Parasitologic! Sanitrries. Facultat de Farmrcia Universität de Barcelona. Avda Diagonal sn, 08028 Barcelona Spain Institut de Salut Publica Campus Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona Spain (Received 4 January, 1996) Abstract: The current study provides the first important data on the helminth fauna of Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766 (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Western Europe. The analysis of 168 specimens, originating from 29 Spanish provinces, allowed the detection of nine parasite species: Taenia mustelae Gmelin, 1780 (Taeniidae), Aonchotheca putorii (Rudolphi, 1819) (Trichuridae), Trichinella sp. (Trichinellidae), Strongyloides mustelorum Cameron et Parnell, 1933 (Strongyloididae), Molineus patens (Dujardin, 1845) (Molineidae), Crenosoma melesi Jancev et Genov, 1988 (Crenosomatidae), Filar

vides martis (Werner, 1783) (Filaroididae), Skrjabingylus nasicola (Leuckart, 1842) (Skrjabingylidae) and Mastophorus muris (Gmelin, 1790) (Spirocercidae). Moreover, the influence of some ecological factors (host sex and geographical location) on the parasitic fauna have been analysed. Key words: Helminthfauna. Mustela nivalis. Mustelidae. Spain. INTRODUCTION In Europe there are seven Mustelids belonging to the genus Mustela Linnaeus, 1758. These are: M erminea Linnaeus, 1758; M eversmanni Lesson, 1827; M lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761); M. nivalis Linnaeus, 1766; M. putorius, Linnaeus, 1758; M. sibirica Pallas, 1773 and M. vison Schreber, 1777 (Honacki et al. 1982). M. eversmanni and M. sibirica have a limited European distribution and they do not inhabit the Iberian Peninsula. M. lutreola and M. vison show reduced population densities, both in the Peninsula and in the rest of the Continent. On the contrary, M. erminea, M. nivalis and M. putorius, which according to Delattre (1987) are the phylogenetically closest related species, are more widely distributed in Europe, and also in Spain.