Records of anoplocephaline cestodes from wild rabbits and hares collected throughout Great Britain

Four species of anoplocephaline cestodes were found in wild rabbits collected throughout Britain in 1962 and 1972, i.e; since the great reduction in rabbit numbers following the introduction of myxomatosis, in 1953. They were Cittotaenia pectinata (Goeze, 1782), C. denticulata (Rudolphi, 1804), C. ctenoides (Rhiehm, 1881) and Andrya cuniculi (Blanchard 1891). C. pectinata and C. denticulata were relatively common with a respective prevalence of 25% and 8% in two samples totalling 442 rabbits and were widely distributed throughout Britain. C. ctenoides was rate and only recorded from seven localities, although these were spread throughout Britain A. cuniculi was also rate being known from four counties in England and five islands off southern England and Wales. C. pectinata was the only species found in hares and its prevalence was low at 6%. The records are shown plotted on to 10 km square distribution maps.