Ovine nematodes in wild lagomorphs in Australia and first record of Trichostrongylus rugatus in free living lagomorphs

Wildlife parasitology in Australia: past, present and future

Wildlife parasitology is a highly diverse area of research encompassing many fields including taxonomy, ecology, pathology and epidemiology, and with participants from extremely disparate scientific fields. In addition, the organisms studied are highly dissimilar, ranging from platyhelminths, nematodes and acanthocephalans to insects, arachnids, crustaceans and protists. This review of the parasites of wildlife in Australia highlights the advances made to date, focussing on the work, interests and major findings of researchers over the years and identifies current significant gaps that exist in our understanding. The review is divided into three sections covering protist, helminth and arthropod parasites. The challenge to document the diversity of parasites in Australia continues at a traditional level but the advent of molecular methods has heightened the significance of this issue. Modern methods are providing an avenue for major advances in documenting and restructuring the phylogeny of protistan parasites in particular, while facilitating the recognition of species complexes in helminth taxa previously defined by traditional morphological methods. The life cycles, ecology and general biology of most parasites of wildlife in Australia are extremely poorly understood. While the phylogenetic origins of the Australian vertebrate fauna are complex, so too are the likely origins of their parasites, which do not necessarily mirror those of their hosts. This aspect of parasite evolution is a continuing area for research in the case of helminths, but remains to be addressed for many other parasitic groups.

Factors influencing the importation and establishment in Australia of the European hare (Lepus europaeus)

Hares were introduced into Australia early in the period of European settlement. This study examined historical issues of newspapers and other historical sources to ascertain the number of importations, the number of hares landed alive, their destinations, relevant habitat characteristics at the sites of the releases, and whether the propagules became established and spread. Forty shipments were identified, and one or more live hares were landed from 27 of those shipments, totalling ~86 live hares, and resulted in the establishment of 10 populations of hares. The climate and the grasses at the known release sites were suitable for Lepus europaeus and predators were rigorously suppressed, which, acting together with the wealth, power, influence, and determination of the proponents of the importations, made establishment of hares in Australia almost certain. However, 11 of the hares landed alive were almost certainly L. nigricollis, and the fates of seven of those hares are not known. There are populations of hares in Australia at sites suited to L. nigricollis but not L. europaeus on the basis of climate and availability of C4 grass types, and the taxonomic status of those hares should be examined.