''Skrjabingylus nasicola'' is a species of parasitic

nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant- parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a bro ...

in the family

Metastrongylidae The Metastrongylidae are a family of nematodes. Genera in the family Metastrongylidae include: * '' Aelurostrongylus''Ohlweiler F. P., Guimarães M. C. de A., Takahasi F. Y. & Eduardo J. M. (2010). "Current distribution of ''Achatina fulica'', ...

. Its lifecycle includes an intermediary mollusc host and a

paratenic In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' ( symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

host, a shrew or small rodent. Adult worms are found in the

nasal sinus Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity. The maxillary sinuses are located under the eyes; the frontal sinuses are above the eyes; the ethmoidal sinuses are between the eyes and the sphenoid ...

es of

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in t ...

Infection

Hansson (1977) showed that direct transmission of the nematode from mustelid to mustelid did not occur, nor did infection occur when the mustelid was fed on small

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

amphibian Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

s, molluscs, arthropods, or

earthworms An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. T ...

. Infection could occur when the animal was fed on the

common shrew The common shrew (''Sorex araneus''), also known as the Eurasian shrew, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. It is long and weighs , and has v ...

(''Sorex aranea'') and larvae of the nematode begin to be excreted by the mustelid some three weeks later. Research since then has shown that rodents can be a source of infection for mustelids.

Lifecycle

''Skrjabingylus nasicola'' has a complex

lifecycle Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to: Science and academia *Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring *Life-cycle hypothesis, ...

. Larvae passed in the

faeces Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relati ...

of infected mustelids are ingested by slugs such as ''

Deroceras reticulatum ''Deroceras reticulatum'', common names the "grey field slug" and "grey garden slug", is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. This species is an important agricultura ...

''. Mustelids do not usually eat molluscs, but the slugs may be eaten by a mammalian

paratenic host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' ( symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

such as ''

Apodemus ''Apodemus'' is a genus of Muridae (true mice and rats). The name is unrelated to that of the ''Mus'' genus, instead being derived from the Greek ἀπό-δημος (literally ''away from home''). Taxonomy Related to the Ryūkyū spiny rats ...

'' sp. or ''

Clethrionomys glareolus The bank vole (''Myodes glareolus'') is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in much of Europe an ...

''. No developmental stages take place in this host and the nematode rests in the glandular zones in the head or possibly in the muscle or connective tissue. Further development takes place when this host is eaten by a mustelid and the parasite moves into its nasal tissues.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5268946 Strongylida Parasitic nematodes of mammals Nematodes described in 1842