Laboratory and field studies on oribatid mites as intermediate host of moniezia expansa infecting Egyptian sheep

ABSTRACT

In this study, three species of oribatid mites, Scheloribates zaheri, Zygoribatula tadrosi and Z. Sayedi, from pure colonies were experimentally exposed to infection by allowing them to feed on stool sheep infected with Moniezia expansa. The mites were followed up to the development of the infective cysticercoids. M. expansa was able to achieve successfully its larval development in the three species of oribatid mites under laboratory conditions. They were demonstrated after 84, 73 and 69 days post infection, respectively. Z. tadrosi is recorded as intermediate host for the first time in Egypt. Six species of oribatid mites, Oppiella nova, S. Laevigatus, S. Zaheri, Xylobates souchniensis, Epilohmannia pallida aegyptiaca and Z. sayedi, recovered from the sheep infested farm soil, were found naturally infected with different developmental stages of M. expansa