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Table 5 Comparative morphometrics of first-stage larvae (DSL) of Varestrongylus and of Elaphostrongylinae sympatric with V. alces

From: Resurrection and redescription of Varestrongylus alces (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae), a lungworm of the Eurasian moose (Alces alces), with report on associated pathology

Characters

V. alcesa,b(n = 15)

V. capreoli c

V. sagittatus d

V. sagittatus e

Varestrongylussp.f1(n = 10)

Varestrongylussp.f2(n = 20)

V. alpenae g

E. alcesh(n = 30)

E. cervii(n = 30)

E. rangiferij(n = 15)

Total length

221.5–373.7

255–341

260–305

268.8–295.7

281–374

348–400

310–380

377–445

392–445

381–490

(286.6 ± 40.81)

(227–260)

(233–305)

(281 ± 11.9)

(329)

(377)

 

(417 ± 16)

(420 ± 13)

(426)

Nerve-ring§

64.5–86.3

–

–

–

–

78–107

85–93

83–106

106–125

95–130

(74.1 ± 5.3)

    

(97)

 

(90 ± 16)

(114 ± 5)

(110)

Excretory pore§

67.5–88.9

–

81–84

77–122.9

71–105

92–107

85–93

104–132

104–121

97–125

(78.8 ± 5.33)

  

(96±17.5)

(84.5)

(102)

 

(112 ± 7)

(111 ± 4)

(109)

Esophagus§

111.6–182.5

70–83

115–151

134.4–161.3

88–155

151–180

155–180

173–236

175–206

163–230

(132.2±15.92)

(120–140)

(124)

(147±15.9)

(128)

(168)

 

(188 ± 12)

(187 ± 7)

(191)

Esophagus/total length (%)

41.2–55.5

–

–

–

28–46

43–46

47–50

–

–

–

(46.3±3.85)

   

(38)

(45)

Esophagus base width

6.2–15.7

–

–

–

8–15.5

9–15

–

–

–

–

(10.7 ± 3.51)

   

(10)

(12)

Body at esophagus base

10.9–29.6

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(19.5 ± 5.95)

Max body width

12.2–29.6

10–17

14–17

13.2–16.9

16–23

17–20

15–17

17–21

17–22

17–24

(20.1± 5.94)

(11–14)

(14)

(15± 1.1)

(19.5)

(18)

 

(19 ± 1)

(19 ± 1)

(20)

Genital primordium§

145.6–250.6

–

179–201

154–249.6

173–224

218–273

195–242

204–289

253–288

245–325

(202.3 ± 30.69)

  

(197±25.1)

(206)

(244)

 

(262 ± 16)

(270 ± 10)

(267)

Genital primordium/total length (%)

69.3–72.9 (70.7±6.04)

–

–

–

62–64

61–68

63–64

–

–

–

(63)

(65)

Tail length

28.6–39.4

28–32

25–31

24.64–29.28

31–42

32–41

–

32–49

37–47

32–53

(36.4 ± 2.95)

  

(28± 1.63)

(35)

(38)

 

(42 ± 5)

(43 ± 3)

(44)

Tail spike

9.8–12.4

8

(9–10)

9.2–10.78

8–11

6–12

data not given

data not given

data not given

data not given

(10.4 ± 0.68)

  

(9.6± 0.7)

(9)

(9)

Dorsal spine

2.8–3.5

2

data not given

data not given

1.6–3

data not given

data not given

data not given

data not given

data not given

(3.1 ± 0.24)

   

(2)

  1. aPresent study – DSL recovered from lung washes and fixed in 70% ethanol and measured at 1000× magnification. The wide range for total length, especially the lower values might be attributable to the pulmonary origin (vs. feces) and fixation method.
  2. bonly measurements available in the original description [20], were total length, 305–441 μm and maximum width, 12 μm.
  3. cCombined sources compiled in [1], origin (lungs/feces) or fixation method not mentioned.
  4. dCombined sources compiled in [1], recovered from lungs, fixation method not mentioned.
  5. eDSL recovered from feces of red deer from the Vitinya wildlife-breeding station in the west Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria, not fixed and measured after iodine staining [45].
  6. fUndescribed Varestrongylus species found in caribou, muskoxen and moose across northern North America [14]. DSL recovered from feces of muskoxen from: (f1) Nunavik Region, Quebec, Canada, fixed in 70% ethanol and measured at 1600× magnification, (f2) near Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada, heat-relaxed in water and measured at 400× magnification.
  7. gV. alpenae DSL extracted from white-tailed deer feces, New York, USA in [45].
  8. hDSL recovered from feces of experimentally infected Eurasian elk, material was heat-relaxed in water and measured at 1000× magnification [8].
  9. iDSL recovered from feces of experimentally infected red deer, material was heat-relaxed in water and measured at 1000× magnification [8].
  10. jDSL recovered from feces of woodland caribou from Newfoundland, Canada. Material was heat-relaxed in water, magnification not mentioned [8].
  11. §Measurements from anterior end.
  12. Range of measurements are given followed by mean and standard deviation. Measurements are given in micrometers (μm).
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