Dr. Éva Murai szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 1. 1982 (Budapest, 1982)
Murai, É.: Taeniid species in Hungary (Cestoda: Taeniidae). II. Larval stages of taeniids parasitizing rodents and lagomorphs
DISCUSSION Collecting data in the course of fifteen years on the infestation of rodents and lagomorphs In Hungary by taeniids led to the following conclusions. The larval forms of all species have been found (Table 1) that had been expected from Central Europe and from the species of carnivores known to occur in Hungary. The study material was sufficiently large for faunistical study, though some of the intermediate hosts have been collected systematically only from about half of the area of Hungary (Table 2): 80% of the rodents originated from Győr-Sopron, Bács-Kiskun, Pest, Vas and Veszprém counties; lagomorphs were examined mainly in Heves, Pest and Bács-Kiskun counties. Hares and rabbits of the studied regions were generally heavily infested with larvae of Tae nia pisiformis . The larval form of Multiceps serialis was found in the Great Hungarian Plain only, though it must be admitted that most of the study material originated from this region (Table 3). The most important definitive host for T aenia pisiformis is the domestic dog; stray dogs and hunting hounds sustain the Cysticercus pisiformis infestation of the hare population. The larva of H yda t igera taeniaeformis is the most common parasite of rodents, its definitive host is the domestic and the wild cat. Of these two, the domestic cat is present all over Hungary. The field vole and the house mouse are the most important of the nine intermediate host species. Remarkably high is the infestation rate of the musk-rat in the study material. NECHAY (1973) assumed that, apart from felids, other carnivores were also responsible for dispersing this species, but there are no conclusive data to prove this. Larval form of Taenia crassiceps and Tetr atirotaenia polyacantha , for both the red fox being the definitive host, were found only in microtid species in Hungary. Larvae of Taenia mart is were found in one locality only, in Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus intermediate hosts inhabiting closed-canopy forests of the Börzsöny mountains (County Pest). The adult helminth was found in a Martes foina definitive host in the Mátra mountains (County Heves). The beech marten and the stone marten are now protected by law in Hungary, but their populations have been seriously depleted a few years ago. Probably that is the reason for the very rare occurrence of this species in the intermediate hosts. Few specimens have been examined from the Northern Highlands, but its occurrence is expected. The absence of the species in the Bakony mountains is surprising (County Veszprém), since 1022 small mammals have been dissected for parasitological examination. The larval forms of Taenia tenuicollis have been found in voles (5 microtid species), in the hamster (Cricetidae), and in one case in the yellow-necked field mouse (Muridae). It was found in all samples in which the number of microtids or hamsters exceeded one hundred. An average 8% infestation rate of its' definitive host, the weasel (Mustela nivalis ) indicates that it lives in relative freedom in these regions. Of the Cladotaenia species connected to raptorial definitive hosts (Falconiformes), C. globifera occurred especially in murids ( Apodemus flavicollis , A. microps and A. agrárius) , and in bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus ). The intermediate hosts for the C. circi are voles Microtus arvalis and Clethrionomys glareolus. It is worthwhile to mention that, apart from its liver, this species also occurred in the lungs of the intermediate host. Morphological and taxonomical problems connected with the larval forms of the various taeniid species have been dealt with under the notes on the species.
