干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

El Hierro is the smallest and most occidental island among Canary Islands. Prospected area is characterized as a stony area with semi desert vegetation where murine rodents (Rattus rattus, Mus musculus domesticus) showed in a previous study a high prevalence by stomach nematodes of Spiruroidea. Endemic darkling beetles of Pimelia laevigata costipennis and Hegeter amaroides (Tenebrionidae), were collected and dissected. P. l. costipennis resulted infected in 17.5% of prevalence with spiruroid larvae of three genera. H. amaroides, showed a lower prevalence (11,3%), and was infected with two genera. Rat experimental infection with Streptopharagus larvae allowed obtaining adults that were identified as S. greenbergi, one of the predominant species detected in R. rattus naturally infected. The high intensity rate of this nematode in Pimelia (1-50 larvae) would explain the also high intensity detected in the stomach of its natural host.