Comp. Parasitol. 80(1), 2013, pp. 130–133 Research Note A New Host Record for Mesocestoides sp. (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae) from a Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, U.S.A. 1,4 2 3 CHRIS T. MCALLISTER, STANLEY E. TRAUTH, AND MICHAEL V. PLUMMER 1 Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, 2805 NE Lincoln Road, Idabel, Oklahoma 74745, U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]), 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, State University, Arkansas 72467, U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]), and 3 Department of Biology, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas 72143, U.S.A. (e-mail:
[email protected]) ABSTRACT: Twenty-one adult rough green snakes Opheo- Between April and September 2010, 20 adult male drys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) were collected during (mean 6 1 SD snout–vent length [SVL], range 5 2010 and 2012 from Montgomery (n 5 1) and White (n 5 384.4 6 45.3, 282–462 mm) O. aestivus were 20) counties, Arkansas, U.S.A., and examined for helminths. collected from Bald Knob Lake (n 5 4) or at Searcy A single O. aestivus (5%) harbored a massive infection of Mesocestoides sp. This represents a new host record for (n 5 16), White County, Arkansas; a single adult Mesocestoides sp., and 1 of the rare instances that O. male (SVL 5 291 mm) was collected in April 2012 aestivus has been reported to harbor any parasite. from Black Springs, Montgomery County, Arkansas. KEY WORDS: Opheodrys aestivus, rough green snake, Snakes were taken to the laboratory and overdosed Mesocestoides sp., Mesocestoididae, Cestoidea, Arkansas, with a intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobar- Ophidia, Colubridae.