Taxonomic and Ecological Studies on the Lung Fluke, 'Paragonimus' in Central and South America.

Five species of freshwater crabs were collected at four localities in Panama, of which three species were identified as Potamocarcinus richmondi, Ptychophallus montanus cocleensis and Ptychophallus exilepes. The latter two species were new hosts of Paragonimus. Fifty-two or 18% of 293 crabs were infected with 105 Paragonimus metacercariae, which were separated into 13 A-forms, 91 B-forms and one C-form. The A-form was identified as Paragonimus peruvianus Miyazaki et al., 1969, and the B-form as P. caliensis Little, 1968, but the C-form was unknown. P. exilipes harbored mainly B-form, and the other crabs mainly A-form. The metacercaria of P. peruvianus was first found in Costa Rica at two localities mainly from Ptychophallus tristani and rarely from Potamocarcinus magnus.
See also annual rept. no. 10, AD-767 753.