Life History and Host Specificity of Mediorhynchus Centurorum Nickol 1969 (Acanthocephala: Gigantorhynchidae)
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of 2-1977 Life History and Host Specificity of Mediorhynchus centurorum Nickol 1969 (Acanthocephala: Gigantorhynchidae) Brent B. Nickol University of Nebraska - Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs Part of the Parasitology Commons Nickol, Brent B., "Life History and Host Specificity of Mediorhynchus centurorum Nickol 1969 (Acanthocephala: Gigantorhynchidae)" (1977). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 356. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/356 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. THE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY Vol. 63, No. 1, February 1977, p. 104-111 LIFEHISTORY AND HOST SPECIFICITYOF MEDIORHYNCHUSCENTURORUM NICKOL 1969 (ACANTHOCEPHALA:GIGANTORHYNCHIDAE) Brent B. Nickol School of Life Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 ABSTRACT: Examination of 1905 arthropods from a swamp and surroundingpasture in southern Loui- siana revealed larval specimens of Mediorhynchus centurorum in 8 of 228 woodroaches, Parcoblatta pensylvanica, but in no other species. The life cycle was confirmed by feeding eggs of M. centurorum to laboratory-rearedwoodroaches. Cystacanths later recovered from the woodroaches developed into mature worms when pipetted into esophaguses of red-bellied woodpeckers, Centurus carolinus; red- headed woodpeckers, Melanerpes erythrocephalus;yellow-shafted flickers, Colaptes auratus; and a hairy woodpecker, Dendrocopos villosus. Infection was achieved in all woodpeckers fed cystacanths at least 47 days old and the mean prepatent period was 35 days. Cystacanths fed starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, and red-winged blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus, did not produce infections although cystacanths from the same pool were infective to control woodpeckers. Larval development of Mediorhynchuscenturorum in woodroachesdid not differ significantly from that of M. grandis in grasshoppers. M. centurorumis the only species of the Gigantorhynchidaefor which the life cycle has been confirmed by laboratory infections using an intermediate host species known in- fected in nature. A high degree of vertebrate host specificity penetration and morphological distinctions was reported by Nickol (1969) in the original might result from parasitizing a member of descriptionof Mediorhynchuscenturorum. He the Picidae. noted that 900 birds of 68 species in 30 families To provide specimens for study of host from Louisiana were examined and that, even specificity in the laboratory, an attempt was though many of them came from the same or made to discover the life cycle of Medio- similar habitats, M. centurorumwas found in rhynchuscenturorum. Since morphologicallyM. only red-bellied woodpeckers, Centurus caro- centurorumdiffers consistentlybut only slightly linus. Further, 76 of the birds representing20 from M. papillosus Van Cleave 1916, it was of species, including 25 of four other species of particular interest whether M. centurorum Picidae, were collected from a single, small could parasitize red-winged blackbirds, Age- wooded area from which 10 of 16 red-bellied laius phoeniceus, the usual host for M. papil- woodpeckers harbored M. centurorum. Most losus, and if so whether morphologicalvariation acanthocephalanspecies, including other mem- from woodpecker specimens would be so great bers of Mediorhynchus,are not nearly so host that the two acanthocephalanspecies could not specific and infect a variety of species having be distinguished. Susceptibility of starlings, similar diets. Nickol (1969) reported also that Sturnus vulgaris, was also of interest because M. centurorumpenetrates deeply into the in- all of the frequently reported species of Medi- testinal wall of its vertebrate host causing a orhynchusin North America (M. grandis Van nodule, about 5 mm long, to bulge into the Cleave 1916, M. papillosus, and M. robustus coelom. Other species of Mediorhynchushave Van Cleave 1916) are known to occur in not been reported to cause similar nodules. starlings. The fact that in North America no other Except for salient features related to recog- acanthocephalan species regularly parasitizes nition of the species and its use in the labora- woodpeckers and that unlike other members tory, no attempt is made to detail Mediorhyn- of the genus Mediorhynchuscenturorum pene- chus centurorumlarval development. trates deeply into intestinal walls suggested that M. centurorummight be a usual parasite MATERIALSAND METHODS of another vertebrate species and that deep Arthropodswere collected from woodpecker foragingand nestingsites and examinedfor Medi- Receivedfor publication27 April 1976. orhynchuscenturorum larvae until naturalinfec- 104 NICKOL-LIFE HISTORYAND HOST SPECIFICITYOF MEDIORHYNCHUSCENTURORUM 105 tions were discovered in woodroaches, Parcoblatta Beginning 2 weeks postfeeding, daily fecal exam- pensylvanica. Ootheca from a laboratory colony inations were made to determine prepatent periods. of wild-caught P. pensylvanica were used to initiate After demonstratingsusceptibility of each of these a colony of laboratory-reared woodroaches. All woodpecker species, three additional red-headed woodroaches used were from the laboratory-reared woodpeckers and two additional flickers were sim- colony. ilar controls for attempts to infect other avian Woodroaches were infected with Mediorhynchus species. Fifteen cystacanths were fed to each of centurorum by 2 methods. In the first, eggs col- 15 red-winged blackbirds and 10 starlings. Acan- lected from body cavities of gravid worms were fed thocephalan eggs were sought by daily fecal ex- to woodroaches fresh or after storage in tap water aminations beginning 2 weeks postfeeding. After at 4 C. After being held 2 days without food and 60 days, blackbirds and starlings were necropsied. water, woodroaches were placed in compartments To determine when Mediorhynchus centurorum of plastic boxes the bottoms of which had been larvae become infective to woodpeckers, a group fitted with potato slices covered with a tap water of woodroaches were fed eggs and resulting larvae suspension of eggs. Woodroaches were allowed to were pipetted into esophaguses of 3 red-headed feed 48 hr on the preparationbefore being removed woodpeckers after 29, 39, and 47 days of develop- to holding boxes containing moist cotton and ment in the woodroaches. Daily examinationswere Purina Lab Chow. On one occasion woodroaches made of the birds' feces beginning 2 weeks post- were allowed to feed only 5 min and were ex- feeding of larvae and continuing for 45 days or amined 1/2 hr later. In the second infection until eggs appeared. If eggs had not appeared after method, 6 groups of woodroaches were fed eggs 45 days, birds were necropsied to determine passed naturally in woodpecker feces periodically whether nonegg-producing acanthocephalans were moistened during a 48 hr exposure period. Four present. of the groups were fed feces from a red-bellied Eggs from body cavities of Mediorhynchus woodpecker, one feces from a red-headed wood- centurorumwere fed to groups of laboratory-reared pecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus,and one feces American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, and from a yellow-shafted flicker, Colaptes auratus. adult grain beetles, Tenebrio molitor, to study Infections in each birds had been produced from intermediate host specificity in the laboratory. As laboratory-reared cystacanths. Except for those a control for egg viability, eggs from the same pool examined 11/2 hr after feeding, woodroaches were used to feed cockroaches and grain beetles were dissected daily and the acanthocephalans were fed to the usual intermediate host, Parcoblatta collected and prepared for microscopicstudy. pensylvanica. All measurementsare in micrometers Fifteen cystacanths resulting from feeding Medi- unless otherwise noted. orhynchus centurorum eggs to laboratory-reared woodroaches were pipetted into the esophagus of a RESULTS red-bellied woodpecker. The woodpecker was 1 of 2 removed from a nest before fledging and raised During June and July 1971, 1905 arthropods in captivity. Daily fecal examinations beginning 3 were collected from a swamp and its surround- wk before feeding of cystacanths and continuing ing pasture, 18 mi south of Baton Rouge, until insured that acanthocephalan eggs appeared Louisiana, where Mediorhynchus centurorum no acanthocephalan was initially present and per- occurred in more than of mitted determinationof the prepatent period. 60% the red-bellied For study of definitive host specificity in the woodpeckers. Table I lists arthropods exam- laboratory, cystacanths produced by laboratory in- ined for larval M. centurorum. Eight of 228 fections of woodroaches were pipetted into esoph- woodroaches were of and parasitized by developing aguses woodpeckers, blackbirds, starlings. M. centurorum No other Before use, each bird had been in captivity for at (Fig. 1). arthropod least 1 month after being caught in a mist net or was found infected. removed from a nest. Daily fecal examinations