Mating behaviour in mixed infections ofSchistosoma haematobiumandS. intercalatum

Abstract
Experimentts were designed to examine the mating behavior of S. haematobium and S. intercalatum in mixed infections in hamsters. Individual worms were identified by electrophoretic analysis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which was characteristic for each isolate; the uterine eggs of individual females were also examined. A specific mate recognition system does not exist for S. haematobium and S. intercalatum. The application of statistical tests to the results suggests that S. haematobium male worms are better at pairing with female worms of either species than S. intercalatum male worms. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to an occurrence of natural hybridization between these species in Cameroon.

This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit: