Taxonomic study of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa Ransom, 1920 (Digenea: Heterophyidae) and related taxa

Species of Ascocotyle Looss, 1899 (subgenus Phagicola Faust, 1920) (Digenea: Heterophyidae) related to A. (P.) longa Ransom, 1920, i.e. those with a bipartite gonotyl and a single crown of 16 circumoral spines, were revised on the basis of examination of type and voucher specimens. The species A. (P.) arnaldoi Travassos, 1929, A. (P.) byrdi (Robinson, 1956) and A. (P.) longicollis (Kuntz & Chandler, 1956), all possessing 16 circumoral spines, are synonymised with A. (P.) longa. A. (P.) ascolonga Witenberg, 1929, the types of which were not available, is provisionally retained as a valid species despite its close similarity to A. (P.) longa (identical number of circumoral spines and morphology of the ventrogenital sac). It differs from A. (P.) longa in the presence of uterine loops posterior to the testes and intestinal caeca ending anterior to the ovary (versus the pretesticular uterus and intestinal caeca reaching to the posterior margin of the ovary in A. (P.) longa). A. (P.) inglei (Hutton & Sogandares-Bernal, 1959), found only once in a single specimen, is also tentatively considered a valid species because it differs in number of circumoral spines (19), slightly larger eggs (23–26×13–16 m) and the distribution of refractile bodies of the gonotyl arranged in four separate groups from A. (P.) longa and A. (P.) ascolonga (16 circumoral spines; eggs 15–20×–12 m; refractile bodies in two groups).