Morphological and anatomical studies on larval trematode of genus brachylaima [brachylaimidae] from the land snail, Monacha obstructa

ABSTRACT

The metacercariae of genus Brachylaima were collected from the kidney of the land snail Monacha obstructa. About 13 to 15 metacercariae were collected from each snail. The metacercariae observed were elongated rather than oval. The gonads were not so developed in spite of great similarity between this larval stage and the adult. No larval stages rather than the metacercariae were observed. The specimens were examined in fresh status and then stained with carmine and fast green as counter stain. The excretory system was developed to very great extent. This seems to be the first record of this larval stage in Egypt, since 1899 when the adults of B. aequans were collected from Gerbillus aegyptiacus. The heavy infection of snails reflected the higher incidence of this parasite among land snails as intermediate host. Since the life cycle of this parasite is not yet confirmed experimentally in Egypt, the species has not been identified