135
1. Introduction
The Great Tit Parus major is widespread and 
numerous in most parts of Europe. It is common and 
widespread species in Slovenia, although it is scarcer at 
higher altitudes. In Slovenia there are about 300,000 
breeding pairs (Geister 1995). In winter, the species 
is present in large numbers in urban areas, and very 
common in mixed flocks with other passerine species 
(Sovinc 1994).
The nematode superfamily Aproctoidea is divided 
into two families, Aproctidae and Desmidocercidae. 
Little is known about their life cycles but it is likely that 
the family Aproctidae is more present in land birds, 
living in their air sacs, while the Desmidocercidae 
family is more frequent in piscivorus water birds, e.g. 
cormorants and albatrosses. Species from the latter 
family are found in air sacs, kidneys, livers, lungs, gall 
bladder, intestines and gizzard (Anderson 2000).
Haematophagous arthropods transmit eggs or 
larvae (microfilariae) to vertebrates, where adult 
filariae develop. Developmental forms move through 
lymphatic ducts or blood vessels in the host’s body. 
Adult filariae live in tissue or the peritoneal cavity 
where they breed, producing eggs (Loye & Zuk 1991).
Pinto et al. (1997) described the species Aprocta 
pyrrhurae (Raillet & Henry 1910), which they recorded 
in the body cavity of Cyanocorax Jays from Brazil. 
They had also found these species in parrots (Pinto 
et al. 1993). Oniki et al. (2002) recorded the species 
Aprocta golvani (Diaz-Ungria 1963) in birds in Brazil. 
In addition, Aprocta sp. was often found in intraorbital 
sinuses and eye cavities (Quentin et al. 1976, Brglez 
1981, Okulewicz 1984, Hernandezrodriguez et 
al. 1986, Lepojev et al. 1990, Manfredi et al. 1992). 
Brglez (1981) recorded the filarian species Aprocta 
turgida in the nasal cavity of Black-headed Gull Larus 
ridibundus in Slovenia. Lepojev et al. (1990) were the 
Aprocta sp. (Aproctoidea, Nematoda) found in the Great Tit Parus major 
in Slovenia
Aprocta sp. (Aproctoidea, Nematoda) najdena v veliki sinici Parus major v Sloveniji
Aleksandra Vergles Rataj1, Marija Nemec2, Ksenija Vlahovi}3, Renata Lindtner-Knific4 
& Alenka Dov~4
 1 University of Ljubljana, Veterinary faculty, Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Gerbi~eva 60, SI-1000  
 Ljubljana, Slovenia, e-mail: aleksandra.vergles@vf.uni-lj.si
2 University of Ljubljana, Veterinary faculty, Clinic for ruminants with ambulatory clinic, Cesta v Mestni log 47,  
  SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, e-mail: marija.nemec@vf.uni-lj.si
3 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biology, Heinzelova 55, HR-1000 Zagreb,  
  Croatia, e-mail: vlahovic@vef.hr
4 University of Ljubljana, Veterinary faculty, Institute for Health Care of Poultry, Cesta v Mestni log 47, SI-1000  
  Ljubljana, Slovenia, e-mail: renata.lindtner@vf.uni-lj.si, alenka.dovc@vf.uni-lj.si
Kongres ornitologov Slovenije ob 25. obletnici DOPPS
Slovene Ornithologists’ Congress at the 25th anniversary of DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia
The abdominal cavity of a dead Great Tit Parus major was found to be full of 
soft, dirty white and yellowish parasites. Exhaustion, dehydration, airsacculitis 
and perihepatitis were recorded in the dead bird. The digestive tract and faeces 
were examined using the flotation method, and found to be parasitologically 
negative. The parasites from the abdominal cavity were filariae, which belong 
to the genus Aprocta sp. The size of the female parasite was between 10.5 and 
12.2 cm. The male was smaller, between 9.0 and 9.5 cm. The eggs had thick 
walls with larvae and the egg size was 450 x 250 µm. This is the first record 
and description of Aprocta sp. in the Great Tit in Slovenia.
Key words: Parus major, Great Tit, parasites, filariae, Aprocta sp., Slovenia
Klju~ne besede: Parus major, velika sinica, zajedavci, filarije, Aprocta sp., Slovenija
Acrocephalus 25 (122):  135 – 138, 2004
136
first to describe the same species of parasites in nasal 
sinuses of a Black-headed Gull in Serbia (Lepojev 
et al. 1990). Manfredi et al. (1992) found Aprocta 
matronensis (Raillet & Henry 1910) in the eye cavity 
of Carrion Crows Corvus corone corone from Northern 
Italy. Aprocta cylindrica (Linstow 1883), which was 
recorded in songbirds in Africa, also lives in eye 
cavities (Quentin et al. 1976). In Poland, Aprocta 
cylindrica was first recorded in 1984 in the Robin 
Erithacus rubecula. The species Aprocta intraorbitalis 
was found in nasal sinuses of crows and songbirds 
(Hernandezrodriguez et al. 1986).
In the present study we describe, for the first time 
in Slovenia, filariae from the genus Aprocta sp. in the 
Great Tit.
2. Material and methods
A single Great Tit was found dead in the area of 
Kresnice near Litija in January 2001. A post mortem 
examination was performed. Liver, intestine and 
parasites from the abdominal cavity were examined 
bacteriologically and parasitologically. Liver was 
exposed to general bacteriological examination. 
Faecal samples were examined for the presence of 
endoparasites, using the flotation method (Thienpont 
et al. 1979). We found parasites in the abdominal 
cavity, washed them out with water, separated them 
with an entomological needle and identified them by 
morphological criteria.
3. Results
Necropsy of the Great Tit showed general exhaustion 
and dehydration. Macroscopically, airsacculitis and 
perihepatitis were also recorded. Air sacks and surface 
of liver were clotted with white-yellowish fibrinous 
thick masses measuring about 1 mm. Bacteriological 
examination of liver was negative. Examination of the 
digestive tract revealed no parasites, but rather minor 
catarrhallic enteritis. During macroscopic examination 
of the ball of soft, yellowish dirty white parasites from 
the abdominal cavity, we found a large number of adult 
filariae of both sexes. The body of the parasite was 
cylindrical, fragile and yellowish dirty white colour. 
The size of the female parasite was between 10.5 and 
12.2 cm. The male was smaller, between 9.0 and 9.5 
cm. In its mouthpart we noticed four small tubes, 
which continued into the interior like wide pipes. 
Males had spicula of unequal size, one was spindly 
twisted, the other flat with the back distal part gently 
curved. Both spicula were distally flat. The female had 
a mouthpart similar to that observed in males. The 
A. Vergles Rataj et al.: Aprocta sp. (Aproctoidea, Nematoda) found in the Great Tit Parus major in Slovenia
Figure 1: The anterior end of an adult female of Aprocta sp. 
found in a Great Tit Parus major from Slovenia (magnification 
100x)
Slika 1: Sprednji del odrasle samice filarije Aprocta sp., 
najdene v veliki sinici Parus major iz Slovenije (100x 
pove~ava)
vulva was near the mouthpart (Figure 1). The back 
part of the female had a semi-circular shape (Figure 
2). A large number of eggs with larvae of the first stage 
were recorded in the uterus. The eggs had thick walls 
with larvae and the egg size was 450 x 250 µm. The 
nematode was determined as the genus Aprocta sp.
4. Discussion
This study presents the first record and description of 
filariae, which belong to the genus Aprocta sp., in the 
Great Tit in Slovenia. According to the morphological 
data the parasite belongs to the family Aproctidae 
(Skrjabin & Stikhobalova 1945), genus Aprocta sp. 
Brglez (1981) found the parasite from the same 
genus in the body cavity of Hooded Crow Corvus 
corone cornix in Slovenia where, according to him, 
the genus Aprocta sp. is frequent in Hooded Crows. 
Our description reveals differences from the parasites 
137
described previously. The males of filaria recorded in 
the Great Tit were up to 3.0 cm longer than those in 
the Hooded Crow. Other morphological differences 
have not been established.
Representatives of the superfamily Aproctoidea are 
small to medium-sized nematodes found in air sacs, 
nasal cavities and subcutaneous tissues of head and 
neck of birds and often also in eye cavities (Anderson 
2000).
The primary site of nematode infection is hard 
to determine, since nematodes easily migrate to 
neighbouring organs (Anderson 2000). In our case 
it was also hard to determine whether the filariae were 
primarily present in the abdominal cavity of the Great 
Tit although the whole abdominal cavity was filled 
with the parasites.
References often mention filarial parasites from 
the genus Aprocta in Passeriformes. They were found 
mostly in intraorbital sinuses, eye cavities and nasal 
Acrocephalus 25 (122):  135 – 138, 2004
cavity but not in the abdominal cavity. We have 
confirmed that filariae from genus Aprocta sp. can live 
also in the abdominal cavity.
5. Povzetek
V trebu{ni votlini mrtve velike sinice Parus major je 
bilo polno mehkih umazano belih in rumenkastih 
parazitov. Pri ptici so bili ugotovljeni: splo{na 
iz~rpanost, dehidracija, aerosakulitis in perihepatitis. 
Pregled prebavnega trakta in iztrebkov, opravljen s 
flotacijsko metodo, je bil parazitolo{ko negativen. 
Pregledani paraziti iz trebu{ne votline so bile filarije iz 
rodu Aprocta sp. Velikost samice parazita je bila med 
10,5 in 12,2 cm. Samec je bil manj{i, dolg med 9,0 in 
9,5 cm. Jaj~eca so bila debelostena z larvami in velika 
450 x 250 µm. To je prvi zapis in opis Aprocta sp,. 
najdenega v veliki sinici v Sloveniji.
6. References
Anderson, R.C. (2000): Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. 
– CABI Publishing, Wallingford.
Brglez, J. (1981): Zajedavci pri pticah v Sloveniji – Cestoda, 
Nematoda, Acanthocephala. – Zbornik Biotehni{ke 
fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, suplement 5, Veterinarstvo, 
Ljubljana.
Diaz-Ungria, C. (1963): Nématodes parasites, nouveaux ou 
intéres-sants du Vénézuela. – Ann. Parasit. Hum. Comp. 
38: 893−913.
Geister, I. (1995): Ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije: raz{irjenost 
gnezdilk. – DZS, Ljubljana.
Hernandezrodriguez, S., Gutierrezpalomino, P. & 
Martinezgomez, F. (1986): Aprocta intraorbitalis n. sp. 
(Nematoda, Aproctoidea) parasite of the azure winged 
magpie Cyanopica cyanus (Passeriformes, Corvidae). 
– Ann. Parasitol. Hum. Comp. 61: 65−69. 
Lepojev, O., Kulisic, Z., Aleksic, N. & Dimitrijevic, S. 
(1990): Nematodes of gulls (Larus ridibundus L.) in the 
Belgrade area. – Acta Veterinaria-Beograd 40: 159−162.
Loye, L.E, & Zuk, M. (1991): Bird Parasite Interaction. 
Ecology evolution and behaviour. – Oxford University 
Press, New York.
Manfredi, M.T., Saino, A. & Genchi, C. (1992): Aprocta 
matronensis in crows (Corvus corone corone) from northern 
Italy. – Parasitologia 34: 97−101. 
Okulewicz, A. (1984): Parasitic Nematoda of the robin 
Erithacus rubecula L. (Turdidae) from the region of 
Wroclaw. – Wiad. Parazytol. 30: 585−594.
Oniki, Y., Kinsella, J.M., Willis, E.O. (2002): 
Pelecitus helicinus Railliet & Henry, 1910 (Filarioidea, 
Dirofilariinae) and other nematode parasites of Brazilian 
birds. – Mem. Ins. Oswaldo Cruz 97: 597−598.
Pinto, R.M., Vicente, J.J. & Noronha, D. (1993): 
Nematode parasites of Brazilian psittacid birds, with 
emphasis on the genus Pelecitus Railliet and Henry, 1910. 
– Mem. Ins. Oswaldo Cruz 88: 279−284.
Figure 2: The back distal part of the adult female with eggs 
of Aprocta sp. found in a Great Tit Parus major from Slovenia 
(magnification 100x)
Slika 2: Zadnji distalni del odrasle samice filarije Aprocta 
sp. z jaj~eci, najdene v veliki sinici Parus major iz Slovenije 
(100x pove~ava)
138
Pinto, R.M., Vicente, J.J. & Noronha, D. (1997): Nematode 
Parasites of Brazilian Corvid Birds (Passeriformes): 
A General Survey with a Description of Viktorocara 
brasiliensis n. sp. (Acuariidae, Schistorophinae). – Mem. 
Ins. Oswaldo Cruz 92: 209−214.
Quentin, J.C., Troncy, P.M. & Barre, N. (1976): Aprocta 
cylindrica Linstow, 1883, an oviparous filaria parasite of 
ploceid birds from Tchad. Larval morphogenesis. – Ann. 
Parasitol. Hum. Comp. 51: 83−93.
Sovinc, A. (1994): Zimski ornitolo{ki atlas Slovenije. – 
Tehni{ka zalo`ba Slovenije, Ljubljana.
Thienpont, D., Rochette, F. & Vanparijs, O.F.J. 
(1979): Diagnosing helminthiasis through coprological 
examination. – Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse.
Arrived / Prispelo: 25.10.2004
Accepted / Sprejeto: 7.3.2005
A. Vergles Rataj et al.: Aprocta sp. (Aproctoidea, Nematoda) found in the Great Tit Parus major in Slovenia