Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Koop, Jennifer A.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Abstract

Parasitism is one of the most common and diverse life history strategies, yet relatively little is known about the role of parasites as invasive species. Invasive species, which present one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, often need to overcome adverse environmental conditions as they establish and spread in new habitats. Invasive parasites are subject to these same conditions, though the effects may be mediated through their hosts. Here, I use an invasive snail and its trematode parasites to quantify the effects of desiccation on survival to better understand how processes of invasion play out in host-parasite systems. The faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata) is an invasive freshwater snail from Europe that hosts trematode parasites of zoonotic concern for waterfowl in North America. The snails often inhabit shorelines in bodies of water that undergo rapid shifts in water level, leaving them stranded above water for prolonged periods of time. Studies have demonstrated faucet snails’ ability to survive desiccation, yet it remains unknown whether their trematode parasites are also capable of surviving desiccation conditions. By desiccating snails in lab conditions for 1, 2, or 3 weeks, I studied the effects of desiccation on both faucet snail and trematode survival. I found that faucet snails were able to survive up to 3 weeks of persistent desiccation, and the trematodes they hosted were also capable of surviving 3 weeks of desiccation in both live and dead snail hosts. These results suggest stranded shoreline snails or snails pulled back into the water following prolonged desiccation periods may still be able to infect waterfowl, even if the snail hosts are dead. Furthermore, survival of snails after prolonged desiccation has implications for management strategies that involve cleaning boats and leaving them out of water to dry, but often for relatively short periods of time. The research presented here will aid in the continued management of faucet snails, their trematodes, and the epizoonoses they inflict upon waterbirds.

Extent

67 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

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