The morphological and molecular identification of the tapeworm, , in intermediate and definitive hosts in Poland.

The tapeworm is a new species of the genus described in 2016, and which remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to extend current knowledge regarding its, morphology and genome. Biological material was analysed from three species of wild animals: Eurasian lynx (), roe deer () and moose (). Twenty-four adult tapeworms and four larvae were obtained from Eurasian lynx and roe deer respectively; none were detected in the studied moose. On the basis of morphometric (hooks measurements) and molecular analysis (partial 780 bp 1 gene sequences), the analysed tapeworm was identified as species. The phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences identified two haplotypes. The obtained findings can be used to supplement the species description. To our knowledge this is the first morphological and molecular identification of in roe deer, intermediate host, in Poland.