Identification of a new species of digenean Notocotylus
malhamensis n. sp. (Digenea: Notocotylidae) from the bank
vole (Myodes glareolus) and the field vole (Microtus agrestis)

Boyce, K; Hide, G; Craig, PS; Harris, PD; Reynolds, C; Pickles, A; Rogan, MT

Abstract

Notocotylus malhamensis n. sp. is described from the caecum of the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) and the field vole (Microtus
agrestis) from Malham Tarn Nature Reserve in North Yorkshire, UK. In total, 581 specimens were collected from rodents
trapped at a wetland site (Tarn Fen) between July 2010 and October 2011 with a prevalence of 66·7% and mean intensity of
94·6 in the bank vole and 50% prevalence and a mean intensity of 4·3 in the field vole. This species appears to be most closely
related to other previously described Notocotylus species infecting rodents in Europe but differs principally by the
metraterm to cirrus sac ratio (1:1·5–1:1·2) in combination with a densely spinulated cirrus, simple caeca and a greater
number of ventral glands in the lateral rows (14–17). The use of molecular differentiationwas of limited use in this study due
to a paucity of relevant information in the DNA sequence databases. However, the complete ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 and
partial 28S gene sequences have been generated to provide a definitive tool for identification of this species in future studies.
As far as we know this is the first report of a notocotylid infection in M. glareolus in the UK.

Citation

vole (Myodes glareolus) and the field vole (Microtus agrestis). Parasitology, 139(12), 1630-1639. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182012000911

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jul 19, 2012
• Publication Date: Jul 19, 2012
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2012
• Journal: Parasitology
• Print ISSN: 0031-1820
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 139
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 1630-1639
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182012000911
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182012000911
• Related Public URLs: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology