On the example of ciliates of the genus Trichodina the role of extensive faunistic investigation for recognition of morphological variation in parasitic Protozoa is considered. In the paper the results of studies on Trichodina ranae, T. reticulata, T. pediculus and Semitrichodina sphaeronuclea f. macrodentata are summarized with particular attention paid to ecological and geographical aspects of the variation. The evolutionary aspect of these studies is also emphasized.
Water frogs, Pelophylax perezi, that are introduced in the Azores, were screened for parasites using PCR primers known to amplify Apicomplexa parasites, and using nematode-specific primers. With the former, three different organisms were detected: Hepatozoon, a trichodinid protozoan ciliate and a possible Stramenopile. Using the latter set of primers, a single unknown spirurid nematode was also detected. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Hepatozoon detected within amphibian hosts appear to form a clade, although relationships of these parasites do not match the vertebrate intermediate host phylogeny. Regarding the possible Stramenopile, it is unclear whether this organism was actually present on the amphibian or in the water on the surface of the tissue sample. Our findings highlight that many different organisms can be detected with these primers and that they can be used to screen introduced host populations to detect parasites that have been brought with them.