Hydatigera krepkogorski from Asiatic wild cat (Felis silvestris ornata) in Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, northwestern China: a case report

To date, there has been no report on <i>Hydatigera</i> species (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) in Asiatic wild cat (<i>Felis silvestris ornata</i>). In this study, we reported a case: a total of 99 tapeworms were found in a nature-killed Asiatic wild cat in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR, northwestern China). Based on morphological characteristics and two genetic markers, the cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit I (cox1) and <i>16S</i> rDNA genes, ten representative tapeworms were identified as <i>Hydatigera krepkogorski</i>. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that the tapeworms in an Asiatic wild cat was the closest to H. krepkogorski in wild rodents in Turpan region, XUAR. This work firstly describes H. <i>krepkogorski</i> in the Asiatic wild cat.