Varestrongylus alpenae (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of Saskatchewan
The lungworm nematode Varestrongylus alpenae (Dikmans, 1935) Dougherty, 1945 is reported in Canada for the first time. Dorsal-spined, first-stage nematode larvae were found in 19% of 1098 fecal pellet groups of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) randomly collected in central and eastern Saskatchewan. These larvae developed to the infective stage, experimentally, in the gastropods Triodopsis albolabris and Triodopsis multilineata and were infective to captive mule deer (Odocoileus h. hemionus) and white-tailed deer fawns. All of four mule deer and two of three white-tailed deer developed patent infections (mule deer in 43–49 days and white-tailed deer in 54–55 days). Adults nematodes, identified as Varestrongylus alpenae, were recovered from the lung parenchyma of two mule deer. The geographical distribution of V. alpenae in white-tailed deer in North America is discussed.