A review of the nematode assemblages of the genus Perameles(Peramelidae), Australian bandicoots, held in the South Australian Museum

ABSTRACTA total of 210 vials of nematodes collected from four species of Perameles(representing 15 individuals of P. bougainville, 83 of P. gunnii,54 of P. nasutaand 19 of P. pallescens) held in the Australian Helminthological Collection of the South Australian Museum were examined. Nematodes were identified and parasite assemblages of the four hosts were compared. Using only the number of nematodes identified to species as an indicator of diversity, the nematode community of P. bougainvillewas the most depauperate (4 species) followed by P. gunnii(11 species), P. pallescens(12 species) and P. nasuta(20 species). None of the species were found in all four hosts. Excluding P. bougainville, Sorensen’s index of similarity showed that P. gunniiand P. pallescenshad the least similar, 0.26, and P. pallescensand P. nasutathe most similar, 0.50, nematode communities. Linstowinema warringtoniSmales, 1997, Mackerrastrongylus peramelis(Johnston & Mawson, 1938) and Peramelistrongylus skedastosMawson, 1960 were found in three hosts, P. gunnii, P. nasutaand P. pallescens. Each of the four hosts had a unique species profile: four species of Physalopterabeing found in P. nasuta, three in P. pallescens, one in P. gunniiand none in P. bougainville. Of the trichostrongyloids, Mackerrastrongylus perameliswas the most prevalent in P. pallescensand Peramelistrongylus skedastosin P. gunniiand P. nasuta. The influence of nematode collection techniques, sample sizes and host geographic range and ecology may have had on the assemblages we observed is discussed.