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Background  Birds of the family Laridae have not been intensively examined for infections with  Sarcocystis  spp. To date, sarcocysts of two species,  S .  lari  and  S .  wobeseri , have been identified in the muscles of gulls. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the species richness of  Sarcocystis  in the herring gull,  Larus argentatus , from Lithuania.    Methods  In the period between 2013 and 2019, leg muscles of 35 herring gulls were examined for sarcocysts of  Sarcocystis  spp.  Sarcocystis  spp. were characterised morphologically based on a light microscopy study. Four sarcocysts isolated from the muscles of each infected bird were subjected to further molecular examination.  Sarcocystis  species were identified by means of ITS1 sequence analysis.    Results  Sarcocysts were detected in 9/35 herring gulls (25.7%). Using light microscopy, one morphological type of sarcocysts was observed. Sarcocysts were microscopic, thread-like, had a smooth and thin (about 1 µm) cyst wall and were filled with banana-shaped bradyzoites. On the basis of ITS1 sequences, four  Sarcocystis  species,  S .  columbae ,  S .  halieti ,  S .  lari  and  S .  wobeseri , were identified. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that a single infected herring gull could host two  Sarcocystis  species indistinguishable under light microscopy.    Conclusions   Larus argentatus  is the first bird species found to act as intermediate host of four  Sarcocystis  spp. According to current knowledge, five species,  S .  falcatula ,  S .  calchasi ,  S .  wobeseri ,  S .  columbae  and  S .  halieti  can use birds belonging to different orders as intermediate hosts.

Molecular identification of four Sarcocystis species in the herring gull, Larus argentatus, from Lithuania