Effects of Organic Xenobiotics on Larvae and Their Parasite .

Environmental contamination with xenobiotics affects organisms and the symbiotic relations between them. A convenient object to study relationships between parasites and their hosts is the host-parasite system " Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) (Hammerschmidt, 1838) Stein, 1848 (Eugregarinorida, Gregarinidae)". For this experiment, we took 390 larvae and 24 organic compounds. Groups of mealworms, 15 in each, were subjected to those compounds for 10 days. Then, we recorded the vitality of both the larvae of and . To assess how had affected the hosts' wellbeing, we looked for changes in the larvae's body mass and compared them to the number of gregarines in their intestines. The vitality of the larvae was inhibited by cyclopentanol and 2-naphthol. The intensity of gregarine invasion was reduced by diphenyl ether, benzyl alcohol, catechol, and 3-aminobenzoic acid. No effect on the number of gregarines was produced by 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, cyclohexanemethanol, phenol, benzalkonium chloride, maleic anhydride, cyclohexanol, resorcin, benzoic acid, 2-methylfuran, terpinen-4-ol, 1-phenylethylamine, dibutyl phthalate, 3-furancarboxylic acid, 5-methyl furfural, 6-aminohexanoic acid, succinic anhydride, o-xylene, and benzaldehyde. In the infected individuals, the mean number of equaled 45 specimens per host. The groups of smaller mealworms had fewer gregarines. Positive correlation was seen between growth rates of larvae and the intensity of invasion by gregarines.