Helminths of the Striped Skunk, Mephitis Mephitis Schreber, in North Dakota

92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

—, and J. M. Vetteiiing. 1967. Cultiva- cell line for in vitro cultivation of Eimeria tion of the turkey coccidium, Eimeria mele- tenella. Am. J. Vet. Res. 30: 1119-1122. agrimitis Tyzzer, 1929, in mammalian kidney Patton, W. H. 1965. Eimeria tenella: Cultiva- cell cultures. Proc. Helm. Soc. Wash. 34: tion of the asexual stages in cultured animal 59-65. cells. Science 150: 767-769. , and . 1968. Preservation of coc- Strout, R. G., and C. A. Ouellette. 1968. cidial sporozoites by freezing. Nature 217: Gametogony of Eimeria tenella (Coccidia) in 1262. cell cultures. Science 163: 695-696. -, and . 1969. Survival and de- Tyzzer, E. E. 1929. Coccidiosis in gallinaceous velopment of Eimeria meleagrimitis Tyzzer, birds. Am. J. Hyg. 10: 269-384. 1929 in bovine kidney and turkey intestine Wagenbach, G. E., and W. C. Burns. 1969. cell cultures. J. Protozool. 15: 796-802. Structure and respiration of sporulating Ei- Matsuoka, T., M. E. Callender, and R. F. meria stiedae and E. tenella oocysts. J. Shumard. 1969. Embryonic bovine trachea Protozool. 16: 257-263.

Helminths of the Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis Schreber, in North Dakota

WILLIAM G. DYER Department of Biology, Minot State College, Minot, North Dakota 58701*

ABSTRACT: Ten species of helminths were recovered from 42 striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis, in North Dakota. The 31 infected skunks harbored one or more of the following species: Alaria taxideae, Plagiorchis muris, Mesocestoides corti, ? Oschmarenia (Morosovella) mephitis, Ascaris eolumnaris, Filar- oides mephitis, Molineus patens, Phtjsaloptera maxillaris, Trichinella spiralis. As skunk parasites, all represent new locality records and P. muris a new host record.

The first extensive review of the literature Dakota; collections were made between 26 on the parasites of North American carnivores April 1968 and 1 April 1969. The only helminth was published by Stiles and Baker (1935) and of this host heretofore reported from North Da- includes a list of the helminths reported from kota (Shumard and Bolin, 1958) is Physalop- mustelids. Erickson (1946) provided lists of tera sp. the hosts of, and a key to, the North American Materials and Methods species of helminths of mustelids and reported on the incidence of these helminths in Minne- The majority of the 42 skunks collected sota. Rare prior and subsequent reports pertain were either trapped or shot; a few were road- in part or wholly to helminths of Mephitis killed. Whenever possible, they were autopsied mephitis Schreber, the host investigated by within a few hours after collection; otherwise the writer, and include data on their distribu- they were frozen and stored. Organs of the tion in this country and Canada. However, gastrointestinal tract, esophagus through large few of them are based on comprehensive intestine, of each skunk were separately ex- surveys. Others are restricted to one or a few amined for helminths. The liver, lungs, kid- of the helminths of this host. Some of these neys, spleen and skeletal muscles also were reports are cited hereinafter. examined. The present study was undertaken to de- Results and Discussion termine the incidence of helminths in a sample Ten species of helminths were recovered of M. mephitis from three ecologically similar (Table 1). Two were trematodes, two ces- counties (Ward, McHenry, McLean) in North todes and six nematodes. This is the first report of these parasites from M. mephitis in * Present address: Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901. North Dakota.

Table 1. Prevalence of helminth infection in 42 striped skunks from North Dakota.

Location No. animals Per cent Species of parasite in host infected infected Trematoda Alaria taxideae Small intestine 3 7.1 Plagiorchis minis Small intestine 2 4.8 Cestoda Mesocestoides corti Small intestine 6 14.3 ? Oschmarenia (Morosovella) mephitis Small intestine 2 4.8 Nematoda Ascaris columnaris Small intestine 8 19.0 Crenosoma canadensis Bronchi 1 2.4 Filaroides mephitis Lungs 1 2.4 Molineua patens Small intestine 3 7.1 Phy.ialoptera maxillaris Stomach 21 50.0 Trich inella spiralis Skeletal muscle 2 4.8

Alaria taxideae Swanson and Erickson, 1946 1928 has been reported from M. mephitis in has been reported from M. mephitis or related Maryland and Louisiana and from related hosts from Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland and hosts. Louisiana. Physaloptera maxillaris Molin, 1860, the Plagiorchis muris Tanabe, 1922 has not pre- most common helminth collected has been re- viously been reported from skunks to my ported from skunks in Quebec, Maryland, knowledge. Louisiana and California. Mesocestoides corti Hoeppli, 1925 [M. vari- Trichinella spiralis (Owen, 1835) has been abilis Muller, 1928 and M. manteri Chandler, reported from M. mephitis in Louisiana and 1942 are synonyms of M. corti, according to Maryland. Voge (1955)] has been reported from striped Literature Cited skunks in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Louisiana and from several other mam- Erickson, A. B. 1946. Incidence of worm para- malian hosts. Of the various carnivores ex- sites in Minnesota Mustelidae and host lists and keys to North American species. Am. amined in this laboratory, M. mephitis appears Midi. Nat. 36: 494-509. to be the important definitive host in North Leigh, W. H. 1940. Preliminary studies on Dakota. parasites of upland game birds and fur-bear- Immature specimens of a species of a ing mammals in Illinois. 111. Nat. Hist. Bull. cyclophyllidean cestode were recovered from 21: 185-194. two skunks. The scolices and proglottids re- Loftin, H. 1961. An annotated checklist of semble those of Oschmarenia (Morosovella} trematodes and cestodes and their vertebrate mephitis (Skinker, 1935) Spassky, 1951 which hosts from northwest Florida. Quart. ]. Fla. was described from M. mephitis and has since Acad. Sci. 23: 302-314. Self, J. T., and T. J. McKnight. 1950. Platy- been reported from it (Leigh, 1940; Self and helminths from fur bearers in the Wichita McKnight, 1950; Loftin, 1961). However, my Mountains Wildlife Refuge, with especial ref- material was inadequate for positive identifica- erence to Oochoristica spp. Am. Midi. Nat. tion. 43: 58-61. Ascaris columnaris Leidy, 1856 has been Shumard, R. F., and F. M. Bolin. 1958. An reported from M. mephitis in Quebec, Mary- instance of erratic parasitism in the skunk, land, Louisiana and California. Mephitis mephitis. J. Parasit. 44: 221. Crenosoma canadensis Webster, 1964 has Stiles, C. W., and C. ~E. Baker. 1935. Key- previously been reported from M. mephitis in catalogue of parasites reported for Carnivora (cats, dogs, bears, etc.) with their possible Quebec only. public health importance. Nat. Inst. Health Filaroides mephitis Webster, 1967 has been Bull. 163: 913-1223. previously reported from M. mephitis in Que- Voge, M. 1955. North American Cestodes of bec only. the genus Mesocestoides. Univ. Calif. Publ. Molineus patens (Dujardin, 1845) Petrov, Zool. 59: 125-155.