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Morphology and molecular phylogeny of two bat trematodes from the taxonomically problematic genus Paralecithodendrium (Lecithodendriidae, Digenea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2025

N. Kirillova ,
A. Kirillov ,
E. Gorodilova  and
S. Shchenkov Open the ORCID record for S. Shchenkov [Opens in a new window]
N. Kirillova
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Zoology and Parasitology, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
A. Kirillov
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Zoology and Parasitology, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
E. Gorodilova
Affiliation:
Research Resource Center for Molecular and Cell Technologies, Saint Petersburg State University, 17 Botanicheskaya Str., St Petersburg, 198504, Russia
S. Shchenkov*
Affiliation:
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, 199034, Russia
*
Corresponding author: S. Shchenkov; Email: svshchenkov@yandex.ru
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Abstract

Trematodes of the genus Paralecithodendrium parasitize bats worldwide. Among them, the identification of Paralecithodendrium longiforme and Paralecithodendrium cryptolecithum is complicated by their high morphological similarity. We studied Paralecithodendrium trematodes from the small intestine of bats inhabiting the Middle Volga region (European Russia). The aim of our study was to analyze these two Paralecithodendrium species using both morphological and molecular phylogenetic approaches. Here, we present the first complete morphological description and molecular phylogenetic analysis of Paralecithodendrium cryptolecithum from bats in Russia and confirm the validity of this species.

Keywords

batsParalecithodendriumTrematoda28S rDNAtaxonomyVespertilionidae

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Type
Research Paper
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 99 , 2025 , e72
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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