11.5% of the larvae recovered from each group; iii) Bunostomum
trigonocephalum accounted for between 1.6% and 35.8% of the larvae
recovered from each group; iv) T. circumcincta only accounted
for 29% and 12.4% of the larvae identified from lamb faecal samples
taken in summer and winter, respectively; v) a single O. leptospicularis
larva was identified in the faecal samples collected from the
ewes during the winter; vi)two larvae ofthe deer-adapted parasitic
nematode species, S. houdemeri, were identified in faecal samples
collected from the lambs during the winter; and vii) several larvae
of the rabbit-adapted parasitic nematode species, T. retortaeformis
were identified in the faeces collected from lambs and a single larva
was identified in the faeces collected from rams during the winter.
The molecular identification of 8 and 12 different known Clade V
nematode parasite species in the flock during the summer and winter,
respectively, in addition to the morphological differentiation of
eggs of two Nematodirus spp. imply differences from the parasitic
nematode species diversity that is usually reported in managed
sheep flocks kept in similar environments. The lowest levels of
parasitic nematode species diversity were seen in the ewes and
rams sampled during the summer, owing to the predominance of
O. venulosum in the ewes in particular.