Helminths from six species of Iowa bats.

Abstract

Sixty-four bats, representing six species, namely, Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat), Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat), Lasiurus borealis (red bat), Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat), Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat) and Pipistrellus subflavus (eastern pipistrel bat), were collected in thirteen counties in Iowa and examined for helminths during October, 1965 to August, 1966. Ten species of trematodes, two species of cestodes and three species of nematodes were identified from these hosts. This study results in twelve new host records for seven trematodes, one cestode and one nematode. Trematodes constitute the major group of helminths recovered, 76.6% of the hosts being parasitized; nematodes were next in abundance (28.1 per cent), and cestodes 7.0%.