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To determine the species composition of ectoparasites, 65 individuals of the bats of six species of the smooth-nosed family (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) were examined. 521 specimens of arthropods of 11 species (the Gamasoidea and Argasidae mites, fleas) were collected, of which Steatonyssus noctulus and Nycteridopsylla eusarca in the Rostov region were first detected. As a result of laboratory studies of bats and ectoparasites associated with them in the Rostov Region, the bacteria DNA of the genus Borrelia - Borellia burgdorferi s. l., species Borellia afzelii were found in the samples of a Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus and P. kuhlii, Eptesicus serotinus, Carios vespertilionis, Steatonyssus periblepharus and Borellia spp. - in the samples of a Macronyssus flavus; Ehrlichia spp. - in the samples of P. pipistrellus and P. kuhlii; Anaplasma fagocytophilum - in samples of Nyctalus noctula. First established participation of bats and ectoparasites in the epizootic process of tularemia - Francisella tularensis DNA detected in samples of P. pipistrellus, N. noctula, P. kuhlii and Cimex ex gr. pipistrelli. In the samples of N. noctula and P. pipistrellus were first discovered markers of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.

Characteristics of known variations of gonads disposition in proglottids of hymenolepidids with 3 testes (Skrjabin, Mathevossian, 1945; Spassky, 1959) are checked up with the anatomy of their "model" species. Diagrams of 9 out of 15 modifications proved to be in this or that extent incorrect. II (Vigisoid) modification is shown to consist of a grade of variations of testes disposition - from an isosceles acute angle with apex back up to a transversal line. Separate state of XI (Przewalskoid) modification is confirmed. Two new modifications are distinguished, XVIII (Monoposthoid), with Diploposthe monoposthe as "model" species, and XIX (Skrjabinoid) - with Microsomacanthus skrjabini.

The present 18S rRNA gene and Cox1 gene-based work was proposed and performed to detect and study the history of evolution of tapeworms that could be recognized through the use of molecular techniques. For this investigation, 14 tapeworms were recovered from 50 intestinal-based content samples of 50 animals (sheep, goat, cattle, and buffalo). The collected adult tapeworms were first identified morphologically showing 6 Moniezia expansa and 7 Moniezia benedeni. Then, DNA from 14 worms (9 for the 18S rRNA gene and 5 for the Cox1 gene) was employed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial gene sequencing techniques. The results of the PCR recorded amplifications of all the sequences used for both genes. The sequencing indicated, via the use of 18S rRNA gene, 5 Moniezia benedeni, 3 Moniezia expansa, and 1 Avitellina centripunctata. Moreover, it resulted, via the utilization of Cox1 gene, 3 Moniezia expansa and 2 Moniezia benedeni. The isolates stood in close matching with global isolates. The current results provide important criteria for the reliable use of the techniques utilized in this study.

A taxonomic description of N. baueri sp. n. based on 42 specimens from Chaun River population (western Chukotka). This description is a summation of the many years of investigations of acanthocephalans from the northern Russia belonging to the genus Neoechinorhynchus. New data on genetic features and ecology of acanthocephalans parasitizing on salmonids inhabiting the North-Eastern Russia determined the necessity to revise the species affiliation of these worms. Morphological difference between the species N. crassus and N. tumidus in the shape of roots of anterior and middle proboscis hooks described by V.Ya. Trofimenko (1969) was used by him to distinguish between the two species. Basing on the established fact that N. crassus in Asia is not present, we allocated acanthocephalans having roots with manubria in the new species N. baueri sp. n. Similarity of this feature in specimens from different geographic populations is shown by the collection of photographs. This form of acanthocephalans is widespread in low reaches of Siberian and Chukchi rivers. To the species N. tumidus we attribute also the lacustrine form that occurs in mountain lands of the North-Eastern Russia. In addition to the above mentioned morphological feature that was detected earlier, the difference is described in egg structures between specimens of N. baueri sp. n. and N. tumidus from Asian populations and the data are given on divergence in dimensions of their lemnisci.

Parasites of the under yearling landlocked sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Walbaum, 1792 of the Lake Kronotskoe are described for the first time. In June fishes did not have any parasites. Seven parasite species were found: Cyathocephalus truncates (Pallas, 1781), Proteocephalus longicollis (Zeder, 1800), two species of genus Diplostomum Nordmann, 1832, Cystidicola farionis Fisher, 1798, Salmonema ephemeridarum (Linstow, 1872) и Neoechinorhynchus salmonis Ching, 1984. In June fish predominantly feed on chironomid larvae. In October one group of fishes (63 %) fеd on chironomid larvae and gammarids, they were characterized by a high infestation with Diplostomum sp. (abundance 0.58) and C. truncatus (abundance 0.26). Another group of fishes fed mostly on plankton, their predominant parasite was N. salmonis (abundance 0.64).

During the first parasitological survey of minnow Phoxinus phoxinus, inhabiting the Penzhina River basin, 32 species of parasites were found, including specific to this fish: Pellucidhaptor merus (Zaika, 1961), Diplostomum phoxini (Faust, 1918) and the typical for cyprinid fishes Trichodina intermedia Lom, 1960, Myxobolus dujardini Thelohan, 1899, M. musculi Keysselitz, 1908, M. ellipsoides Thelohan, 1892, Goussia carpelli (Leger et Stankovitch, 1921). Ectoparasites were predominating in the fish host (46.9 %), among them the majority were infusorians (93.3 or 43.8 % of the whole fauna), myxosporeans served as subdominants. Parasites, that migrated to minnows from fish of other taxonomic groups, made up 37.5 %. Most parasites (59.3 %) were referred to the boreal plain complex. The minnows' diet includes the larvae of amphibiotic insects, chironomids, insects falling in water, nematodes, filamentous and diatoms algae.

The effect of the extracts from cestodes T. nodulosus and E. rugosum inhabiting the intestines of pike and burbot, respectively, on the activity of commercial trypsin was studied. It was found that adding these extracts leads to an immediate and significant decrease in the activity of trypsin solution. The impact level of the extracts depends on their dilution. The lower the dilution of the worm extract, the higher the level of trypsin activity inhibition. At the same time, the mass of the tapeworms have no significant influence on their inhibitory effect. Proteinase inhibitors protect the studied cestodes from the destructive effects of host proteolytic enzymes.

The morphology of the trematode larvae Haplosplanchnus sp. is described for the first time in the Black Sea. It is the first record of gastropod Hydrobia acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) as the second intermediate host for Haplosplanchnus sp. in the Black Sea.

Summary is absent.