Overwintering Population Changes of Pterygodermatites Coloradensis (Nematoda: Rictulariidae) in Kentucky and Ohio

Abstract

Field studies demonstrated a 21.3% prevalence of Pterygodermatites coloradensis in Peromyscus leucopus and a decreasing mean worm burden during the October to April, 1977-79, study period. Decreasing worm burden may be due to fewer available infested intermediate hosts, the short life span of adult worms, or both. Forest and cave salamanders are probably not effective transfer hosts of P. coloradensis since they contained few encysted spirurid larvae and are unlikely to be eaten by P. leucopus. Mean worm burden (X = 4.4) and prevalence (15.7%) of encysted larvae P. coloradensis increased more significantly with host size than month of the overwintering study period in cave Ceuthophilus spp.