Digenean parasites of the Family Lecithodendriidae (Luhe, 1901) Odhner, 1901 infecting the frog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Anura: Dicroglossidae) of the Western Ghats, Wayanad Region, India

Abstract

Three species of digenean parasites, Pleurogenoides euphlycti, P. wayanadensis and Meharorchis ranarum of the frog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Anura, Dicroglossidae) from the Wayanad Region of the South Western Ghats are reported in this paper. Multiple infections were also recorded during the study. Prevalence of infection of P. euphlycti, P. wayanadensis and M. ranarum were 15.15%, 9.09% and 12.12%, respectively, and the intensity of infection were 5.2, 7.3 and 8, and the mean abundance were 0.78, 0.66 and 0.96, respectively. Mean abundance is an indication of the dispersion of parasites among hosts. The mean abundance and the intensity were at the maximum level in M. ranarum infection and that of prevalence of infection was at the maximum level in of P. euphlycti infection.