Biodiversity of Lumbricidae Intermedial Hosts of Metastrongylides of Pigs in the Belgrade Area

Abstract

Metastrongylidosis or pulmonary strongylidosis of pigs is a disease caused by several species of nematodes from the genus Metastrongylus. Metastrongylides belong to biohelminths whose causative agents use transitional hosts for their development and maintenance of the biological cycle, in this case numerous species of lumbricides (earthworms). The larvae acquire infectivity only when they eat by earthworms - intermedial host. The seasonal variation of microclimate conditions in the soil has a large part in the life of earthworms, and the inhibitory factors in their seasonal dynamics are directly related to the spread of metastrongylidosis. Overview of research conducted in the five-year period in the area of Belgrade it was established that the dominant species of earthworms which are intermediate hosts to lungworm: Eisenia foetida, Eisenia rosea, Dandreobena rubida, Allopbophora caliginosa, Allopbophora jassyensis, Lubricus terrestris and Lubricus rubbelus. Also, species occur as transitional hosts of metastrongylidosis was Eisenia veneta, Eisenella tetraedra, Allopbophora longa, Octolasium complanatuum, Octolasium lacteum, Octolasium rebeli, Dendrobaena octaedra, Dendrobaena subrubicunda, Dendrobaena mariupoliensis, Bimastus tenius and less often species from the genus Heledrillus spp.

Keywords

• earthworms
• metsrongylides
• pigs