DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h70rxwdv0
title: Data from: Non-invasive methods unveil the trophic transmission of the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis in Gull-billed Terns

description: Recent developments in microscopic and molecular tools have allowed the
 implementation of new approaches for assessing parasitic infections in
 wildlife populations. This is particularly important for the noninvasive
 detection and quantification of endoparasites in live animals. Here, we
 combined copromicroscopic (Mini-FLOTAC) and molecular (qPCR) techniques to
 detect the infection of the macroparasite Ligula intestinalis (Cestoda,
 Pseudophyllidea) in fresh droppings of Gull-billed Terns Gelochelidon
 nilotica (Charadriiformes, Laridae) breeding in southwestern Spain.
 Additionally, we sequenced the cytochrome b gene in parasite isolates from
 Gull-billed Terns (definitive host) and Common Bleak Alburnus alburnus
 (second intermediate host) sampled around tern colonies to explore
 potential genetic differences between the isolates. The qPCR test showed a
 higher prevalence (18%; in 13/73 samples) than Mini-FLOTAC (9%; in 8/88
 samples), indicating that qPCR was more sensitive for diagnostic purposes
 than fecal flotation alone. Although the agreement between both techniques
 was substantial (84.2%) mainly due to the large number of uninfected
 samples, only Mini-FLOTAC allowed us to quantify parasite shedding. When
 combining techniques, prevalence of infection did not differ between
 adults and chicks, suggesting frequent trophic transmission from parents
 to their offspring via food provisioning. Phylogenetic analyses identified
 four haplotypes in the isolates from Gull-billed Terns and Bleak, all of
 which were placed within a European clade composed of tapeworms recovered
 exclusively from phylogenetically derived cyprinid fish. This, combined
 with the short lifespan of mature tapeworms, suggests that Gull-billed
 Terns became infected after consuming infected fish around their breeding
 colonies rather than on their West African wintering grounds. Altogether,
 our results represent the first record of L.
 intestinalis in Gull-billed Terns and the first molecular characterization
 of the parasite in the Iberian Peninsula. This integrative
 copro-diagnostic protocol can be applied to other host–parasite systems,
 allowing researchers to study helminth infections in wild populations
 using a noninvasive approach.
description: # Non-invasive methods unveil the trophic transmission of the tapeworm
 Ligula intestinalis in Gull-billed Terns
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h70rxwdv0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h70rxwdv0) ## Description of the data and file structure Data analyses presented in this article ([https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70564) ](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70564) can be reproduced using the dataset and R code provided here. ### Files and variables #### File: df.xlsx **Description:** This dataset contains all sampled individuals and their parasitised state analysed in the article.  **Sheet 1: dataset** Variables: * id: Bird ring identifier * Species: species to which the id belongs * Year: sampling year * Date: sampling date * Site: sampling site * Nest: id of nest where the bird was captured * Sex: female or male * Age: chick or adult * days of life: data for chicks only. Days since hatching * weight_faeces_gr: faeces sample weight * positive_Lintestinalis_molecular: if positive by qPCR * positive_Lintestinalis_morphology: if positive by Mini-FLOTAC * parasitised.Ligula: Whether or not he was parasitised by *L. intestinalis* * EPG_Ligula: *L. intestinalis* eggs per gram of faeces * Par_NoPar: whether or not the bird was parasitised by *L. intestinalis* NA represents not available **Sheet 2: Eggs *Ligula*** Variables * id: Bird ring identifier * long: Egg length of *L. intestinalis* * wide: Egg width of *L. intestinalis* #### File: Capasso-et-al.\_-2024.pdf **Description:** R code to replicate the analyses carried out in the article. #### File: Appendix.docx Description: Appendix for the article containing Figure A1 and A2.   Figure A1: Eggs with polar cap observed after Mini-Flotac analysis. Figure A2: Relationship between sample weight and egg detectability during Mini-FLOTAC performance. #### File: Table A1 **Description:** Taxa included in the phylogenetic tree reconstruction (Figure 4) of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene lineages of *L. intestinalis*, representing a broad geographic area from 27 countries. Bold: New *L. intestinalis* sequences resulting from this study * id: Haplotype name * Cytb GenBank accession numbers: Sequence accession number in GenBank * Parasite: parasitic species of the haplotype * Host: host species of the parasitic species of the haplotype * Family: host family of the parasitic species of the haplotype * Country: Country where the parasite was found * locality: Locality where the parasite was found * reference: Article where the sequence is published