Life cycle of Stephanoprora uruguayense (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) in Argentina.

Abstract

The life cycle of Stephanoprora uruguayense Holcman et Olagüe, 1989, was experimentally resolved. In an artificial pond in the Zoological Garden in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, Heleobia parchappei (Hydrobiidae) was found to be releasing large-tailed cercariae with a prepharyngeal body, but lacking collar spines and corpuscles in the excretory system. Metacercariae, which encysted on the gills of naturally and experimentally infected Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Poecilidae), developed collar spines and corpuscles in the excretory system in 7 days. Sexually mature adults were recovered from chicks and immature adults from mice fed metacercariae from C. decemmaculatus. Eggs shed in chick feces developed to miracidia within 10 days; sporocysts were found on the gills of snails. Stephanoprora uruguayense and S. denticulata from Europe are similar in adult morphology, but can be distinguished by morphological and behavioral features of larvae. Likewise, although S. denticulata and S. paradenticulata from Venezuela are similar to S. uruguayense in adult morphology, they differ considerably in larval morphology and intermediate hosts.