ABSTRACT

In this study, the prevalence of larval stages of Dicrocoeliidae in the garden snail Helix aspersa Müller, 1774 commonly found in the vicinity of Izmir, Turkey was investigated and some of its histological and morphological features were determined. The molluscs were collected during the spring of 2005. As the result of the investigation, a land snail species, H. aspersa, was found to be an intermediate host in the life cycle of Dicrocoeliidae and it had a prevalence of 0.97 % in the study area. In the present study, H. aspersa has been reported for the first time as an intermediate host of Dicrocoeliid species. The prevalence of infection was highest in March.

Keywords: Helix aspersa, larval stage, Dicrocoeliidae, intermediate host, Mollusca