A Record of an Asian House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, from Laos as a Host of the Pentastome, Kiricephalus pattoni, with Comments on the Distribution and Natural History of This Parasite

An Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836) was collected in a forested area near the town of Thakhek, Laos. Inspection of the lizard revealed that it had a subcutaneous lump on its abdomen, which was determined to be caused by a nymph of the pentastome Kiricephalus pattoni (Stephens, 1908). Although H. frenatus has been recorded as a host of K. pattoni in Taiwan, Thakhek, Laos represents a new distribution record for this parasite.