Authors

h elfayoumi¹;  ¹ Faculity of science Beni-suef university, Egypt

Discussion

Rhabdias bufonis (Rhabdiasidae) is one of the highly pathogenic nematode parasites infecting the lung of amphibians. The present study introduces the morphological description of this nematode isolated from the lung of the African common toad, Amietophrynus regularis collected from its natural habitat; the damp, moist fields and gardens at Giza governorate, Egypt. The study based on the data obtained from light and scanning electron microscopic examination. 14 out of 40 (35%) of the examined specimens were found to harbor a large number of this parasite. All of the recovered worms were females5.2-12.5 mm (8.8 mm) long and 0.2-0.7 mm (0.5 mm) wide at mid body. The anterior end was blunted while the posterior one was tapered. The body covered by a delicate inflation of the cuticle strongly folded on its surface.  The SEM study presented new details regarding the cephalic end of this nematode which was not identified in the previous studies, of them, a slit-like mouth surrounded by two pairs of lateral papillae and two amphids. Also, three pairs of cuticular inflation supporting the area around mouth opening