ECHINOSTOMA GARZETTI SP.N. (DIGENEA: ECHINOSTOMATIDAE) IN EGRETTA GARZETTA (LITTLE EGRET) IN SINDH, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The genus Echinostoma Rudolphi, 1809 is worldwide in distribution. It was erected to accommodate termatodes recovered from birds, fishes, reptiles and mammals. The genus Echinostoma is a well-established genus with numerous species reported from all most all over the world from Avian hosts. The genus Echinostoma belongs to the family Ehinostomatidae Loss, 1899 and sub Family Echinostomatinae Looss,1899. Type species is Echionostoma revolutum (Froelich, 1802) looss,1899; E. armatum Molin, 1858; E. revolutum var. japonicum Kurisu, 1932; syn. E. miyagawai Ishii, 1932; E. paraulum Dietz, 1909 is recovered in various aquatic and terrestrial birds of the families including Anatidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Scolopacidae, Ardeidae, Raillidae, Phasianidae, Corvidae, Columbidae etc., occasionally in man. Loss, Tubangui, Sprehn, Yang, Beaver Bashikirova, Yamaguti etc: E.echinatum Loos (1899). Eight species of the genus reported from avian hosts in Pakistan are: E. lahorensis Bhutta and Khan, 1974, recovered through experimental studies in day old chicks; E. revolutum (Froelich, 1802) Rudolphi, 1809, Bhutta and Khan, 1975 from Anas Platyrhynchos; E. chloropodis philippinensis (Tubangui, 1932) Bhutta and Khan, 1975 from Gallinula chloropus; E. atrae Birmani et l., 2008 from Fulica atra; E. sindhenses Dharejo et al., 2009 from Bubulcus ibis and E. megaovata Dharejo, 2006 (Unpublished part of thesis) from Fulica atra respectively; E. valentini Sanjota and Ghazi, 2011 from Phalacrocorax fusicolis and E. rafiae Bushra et al., 2014 from Egretta garzetta.