A new species of cestode, Vampirolepis muraiae n. sp. (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae), from a Chinese bat

Vampirolepis muraiae n. sp. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) is described on the basis of a single specimen from a mouse-eared bat, Myotis sp., from Yunnan Province, China. It is distinguished from its congeners on the basis of the size and shape of the rostellar hooks, which have a blade shorter than the guard, the tubular structure of the initial stage of the developing uterus and eggs with a thick outer coat.     

Mathevolepis junlanae sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae: Ditestolepidini), a new cestode species from shrews of Far East

Mathevolepis junlanae sp. n. from shrews (Sorex spp.) of Far East is described given. The new species occupies an intermediate position between the Palaearctic species M. petrotschenkoi Spassky, 1948 (total number of proglottids--4) and M. skrjabini (Sadovskaya, 1965) (10-12 segments in a series) by the number of synchronously developing proglottids (2-4). The new species differs from M. larbi Karpenko, 1982 by the structure and measurements of copulative apparatus in proglottids. In M. larbi, vagina S-shaped, vagina length 0.147-0.154 mm, cirrus length 0.146-0.149 mm, and cirrus bursa reaching aporal excretory vessels. M. junlanae sp. n. has cirrus bursa slightly crossing center line of sexually mature proglottids, cirrus about half as long (0.084-0.092 mm), and smaller sac-shaped vagina (0.075-0.10 mm). The new species differs from the Nearctic representative M. macyi (Locker and Rausch, 1952) by lesser measurements of cirrus bursa (0.12-0.14 mm versus 0.4 mm) and a fewer number of proglottids in series (2-4 versus 5-7).     

Relictolepis gen. n.--a new cestode genus (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from rodents of the Russian Far East and the description of R. feodorovi sp. n

A new cestode genus and species Relictolepis feodorovi gen. et sp. n. having armed scolex is described ex Clethrionomis rufocanus Sundevall, 1846 (Rodentia, Microtinae) from the Russian Far East.     

A new cestode species Paranoplocephala gubanovi sp.n. (Cyclophyllidea: Anoplocephalidae) from the wood lemming Myopus schisticolor of eastern Siberia

A new species of anoplocephalid cestode, Paranoplocephala gubanovi sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea, Anoplocephalidae), from wood lemmings of Eastern Siberia (Myopus schisticolor) is described. The new species differs from other known species of Paranoplocephala associated with Holarctic lemmings by having unique combination of characters as follows: a few-segmented strobila, superficial suckers sticking out of the scolex, ovary covering practically the whole middle part of the segment, relatively little number of testicles situated in the aporal part of the segment, cirrus bursa crossing the poral excretory vessels, and subspherical spermatheca situated in the middle part of the segment. Comparison of P. gubanovi sp. n. and several closest species, P. fellmani Haukisaimi et Henttonen, 2001, P. serrata Haukisaimi et Henttonen, 2000, and P. arctica (Rausch, 1952) has been carried out. Features distinguishing the new species from Aprostatandrya macrocephala and A. microti have also been studied.     

Brachylepis gen. n.--a new genus of cestodes (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from shrews in Siberia and the Far East

A new genus Brachylepis gen. n. hymenolepididean cestodes associated with common shrews (Sorex) in Siberia and Russian Far East is created. These genus includes three species removed from the genus Mathevolepis: Brachylepis morosovi (Karpenko, 1994) comb. n. (type species), B. sorextscherskii (Morosov, 1957) comb. n. and B. triovaria Karpenko, 1990) comb. n. The new genus is characterized by the gradual strobila with a little number of segments, unarmed scolex with apical glandular organ, by lack of internal seminal vesicle and differential seminal receptacle, by form of uterus as horse shoe in young worms and buble-like in mature worms. A tendency of inverse proportional dependence between the number of uterus segments in the strobila and the number of hexacanths in the uterus has been noticed. The table of differential characters for the species of the genus Brachylepis is proposed.     

Microsomacanthus polystictae sp. n. and other cestodes of the family Hymenolepididae (Cyclophyllidea) from Steller's eider Polysticta stelleri from the Chaun lowlands (northwestern Chukotka)

8 species of cestodes belonging to the family Hymenolepididae were recorded from Polysticta stelleri (Pall.) in the Chaun lowland. A new species of hymenolepidids, Microsomacanthus polystictae sp. n., differing from close (by the length of proboscis hooks) species of the genus in the structure and size of the copulatory organ is described. Brief diagnosis of the new species: cestodes small, specimens ending with hermaphrodite proglottids 2.44 to 2.91 mm long. Proboscis hooks 0.038 to 0.042 mm long, blade 0.011 to 0.012 mm long. Strobila of maximum length with 84 proglottids. In young male proglottids the aporal testis half as large as poral and median ones, in well-developed proglottids testes 0.020 to 0.026 X 0.023 to 0.032 mm. Bursa of cirrus 0.150 to 0.190 X 0.020 to 0.028 mm. Cirrus 0.107 mm long, basis 0.008 to 0.011 mm wide, median part 0.012 to 0.014 mm wide, apical part 0.004 mm wide. Cirrus armed with spines 0.003 to 0.004 mm long. Ovary bilobate, yolk gland compact. Spermatheca small, situated medially, in front of poral ovary lobe. Copulative part of vagina sacciform, 0.086 to 0.118 mm long, 0.023 to 0.037 mm maximum width. Distally and proximally vagina with muscular sphincters. Uterus sacciform, with 35 to 40 embryos. There were no mature "eggs" in the material.     

Cestodes of birds from the Ivory Coast. Yapolepis yapolepis n. g., n. sp., a new metadilepidid (Cyclophyllidea: Paruterinoidea) parasite of the icterine greenbul (Aves: Pycnonotidae)

Yapolepis yapolepis n. g., n. sp. a parasite of the icterine greenbul Phyllastrephus icterinus (Aves: Pycnonotidae) in the Ivory Coast is described. Due mainly to the lack of both a rostellar pouch and a paruterine organ, this new genus is classified within the family Metadilepididae Spassky, 1959. Yapolepis is principally characterised by its unarmed rostellum and by unilateral genital pores. It is assumed that the Metadilepididae are probably more diversified than presently known, the reason for this being our limited knowledge of the parasite-fauna of the intertropical terrestrial birds which are their main hosts.This work is part of the author's thesis.     

Cestodes of the family Dilepididae (Cestoda:Cyclophyllidea) from fish-eating birds in Mexico: a survey of species

A survey of adults of dilepidid tapeworms (Cyclophyllidea) from piscivorous birds from Mexico is presented on the basis of the taxonomic evaluation of freshly collected and voucher specimens. The following species are reported (first records from Mexico marked with an asterisk): Cyclustera capito (Rudolphi, 1819); ^* C. ibisae (Schmidt & Bush, 1972); ^* Dendrouterina ardeae Rausch, 1955; ^* D. herodiae Fuhrmann, 1912; ^* D. papillifera (Fuhrmann, 1908); Glossocercus auritus (Rudolphi, 1819); ^* Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus (Wedl, 1855); Paradilepis caballeroi Rysavy & Macko, 1973; Paradilepis sp.; Parvitaenia cochlearii Coil, 1955; and Valipora mutabilis Linton, 1927. Dendrouteria herodiae is reported from America for the first time. New definitive hosts are Phalacrocorax olivaceus for C. capito, N. cheilancristrotus and P. caballeroi; Casmerodius albus and Egretta thula for G. auritus; and E. thula for D. herodiae. Data on the morphology of the rostellar hooks of all species, their hosts and distribution in Mexico are provided.     

Calixolepis thuli n. g., n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) from the wood duck Aix sponsa (Anatidae) in America

Calixolepis thuli n. g., n. sp. is described and figured on the basis of the specimens from the wood duck Aix sponsa (L.) (Anseriformes: Anatidae) from Cuba and the USA. The tapeworm is characterised by: (1) strobila of medium size; (2) deep genital atrium; (3) external accessory sac; (4) unilateral genital pores, with female genital ducts situated anterior to male ducts; and (5) the following characteristic structure of the male and female terminal genitalia: the genital pouch has a stylet and a goblet-like structure, the calix; a cirrus is absent; and the thick-walled copulatory part of the vagina forms vaginal vestibule distally which may open through a vaginal papilla into the genital atrium. Other morphological structures indicate a relationship with species of the genus Sobolevicanthus Spasskii & Spasskaya, 1954 or with Cladogynia Baer, 1938 (Hymenolepididae). The differences between the tapeworms from Cuba and the USA suggest the possible occurrence of various morphological forms of Calixolepis.     

Two new species of Dicoma (Asteraceae) from Somalia and Ethiopia

Two new species of the genus Dicoma, D. popeana from Somalia and D. aethiopica from Ethiopia, both of the section Psilocoma , are described and illustrated. The two species are distinguished from D. anomala and other similar taxa by a morphologic diagnostic key.     

Two new species of the family Suctobelbidae (Acari,Oribatida) from Chile

Two new species of the oribatid mite family Suctobelbidae (Acari, Oribatida) are described from southern Chile. Niosuctobelba sphagnicola Ermilov, sp. n. differs from N. ruga Chinone, 2003 in the rostrum with a median incision and one pair of lateral teeth, the heads of bothridial setae rounded distally, the tectopedial fields not fused anteriorly, the notogastral setae barbed, and the body without striate ornamentation. Zeasuctobelba tierradelfuegoensis Ermilov, sp. n. differs from Z. trinodosa Hammer 1966 in a shorter body, the heads of the bothridial setae with thin apices, the tectopedial fields not fused anteriorly, and the notogastral humeral tubercles with longer cristae. An identification key to the known species of Zeasuctobelba is given. The genus Niosuctobelba is recorded for the Neotropical Region for the first time, while Zeasuctobelba is new to the fauna of Chile.     

Monocercus dokuchaevi sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea: Dilepididae)--a new species of cestodes from shrews of the North-Eastern Asia

A new cestode species, Monocercus dokuchaevi sp. n. is described from shrews of the genus Sorex from the Middle Kolyma plateau (Magadan Province). The new species is most closer to M. soricis (Neiland, 1953) by having regular alteration of genital atriums in the short strobila (up to 10 mm only). The size of rostellar hooks in M. dokuchaevi is intermedial between those in M. soricis and M. arioni (Sibold, 1850). In Monocercus dokuchaevi, the length of rostellar hooks is 0.038-0.045 mm (average 0.045 mm), in M. arioni, average is 0.05 mm, in M. soricis, limits are 0.027-0.033 mm. Two other species of the genus, M. baicalensis Eltyshev, 1971 and M. estavarensis Euzet et Jourdan, 1968, have much longer rostellar hooks, 0.07-0.08 and 0.092-0.106 mm, respectively, whereas the genital atriums in these species are altered irregularly.