The formerly monotypic genus Blissia is given a wider definition, in order to include a second new species, Blissia robusta, from the Ogilvie Mts, Yukon Territory, northwestern Canada. Some additional characters separating the genera Blissia and Tetracanthella are described.
Bacciger israelensis Fischthal, 1980 (Trematoda: Fellodistomidae) was recorded from Boops boops (Perciformes: Sparidae) in Bulgarian Black Sea coastal waters for the first time. Re-examination of the morphology of B. israelensis showed some new details: Laurer’s canal opens dorsally a short distance anterior to the excretory pore; seminal receptacle situated posterior to ventral sucker and ventral to ovary; ovary composed of three nearly spherical but not separated lobes forming apexes of isosceles triangle; tegumental spines covering body including entire surface of ventral sucker and distal half of upper part of oral sucker.
Arostrilepis beringiensis (Kontrimavichus et Smirnova, 1991) is redescribed on the basis of its type specimens from Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson) and material from the collections of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Novosibirsk from the lemmings Myopus schisticolor (Lilljeborg) and Lemmus sibiricus (Kerr) from the Asian part of Russia. Specimens previously identified as Arostrilepis horrida (Linstow, 1901) from voles are revised and newly collected materials are addressed. Two new species of the genus Arostrilepis Mas-Coma et Tenora, 1997, A. intermedia sp. n. from red-backed voles (Myodes Pallas) from the Asian part of Russia and A. janickii sp. n. from Europe, are described. These species are clearly distinguished from congeners by form and size of the cirrus and its armature as well as the type of arrangement for the testes, position of the cirrus-sac with regard to poral ventral osmoregulatory canals, and host specificity.
The type species of the cestode genus Arostrilepis Mas-Coma et Tenora, 1997, Arostrilepis horrida (Linstow, 1901), is redescribed on the basis of the syntype material from the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) deposited in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Arostrilepis horrida (sensu lato), reported from a wide range of rodents throughout the Holarctic Region, is shown to be a species complex. The proposed host range and geographical distribution of A. horrida (sensu stricto) are limited to the data reported in the original description. The previously proposed synonymy of A. horrida is examined and the following species are excluded from the list of its synonyms: Hymenolepis procera Janicki, 1904, H. arvicolina Cholodkowsky, 1913, H. sciurina Cholodkowsky, 1913 and H. mathevossianae Akhumyan, 1946; these are considered species inquirendae. Specimens previously identified as A. horrida from voles from the Asian part of Russia are revised and newly collected materials are worked out. Two new species, A. macrocirrosa sp. n. and A. tenuicirrosa sp. n., are described. The main differentiating characters used to distinguish Arostrilepis spp. are the form and size of cirrus and its armature as well as the type of arrangement for the testes. The new species can also be distinguished from one another on the basis of sequences of the ITS2 rRNA gene. The generic diagnosis of Arostrilepis is emended. Hymenolepis neurotrichi Rausch, 1962, which had been placed in Arostrilepis by Mas-Coma and Tenora (1997), does not correspond to the generic diagnosis and is considered a species incertae sedis.
Blood films were examined from 154 wild and captive tortoises from four provinces of South Africa, including Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, North West and Western Cape. The five species of chelonians studied were Chersina angulata (Schweigger), Kinixys belliana belliana (Gray), K. lobatsiana Power, K. natalensis Hewitt, and Stigmochelys pardalis (Bell). Two species of haemogregarines, previously reported from Mozambique, were identified in blood films, namely Haemogregarina fitzsimonsi Dias, 1953 and Haemogregarina parvula Dias, 1953. Additional stages of development (trophozoites and probable meronts, merozoites and immature gamonts) in blood preparations from South Africa warranted the redescription of H. fitzsimonsi. A variety of hosts and broad host distribution range were observed for this haemogregarine, with all five species of tortoises parasitized, wild and captive, from all four provinces, in all seasons. In contrast, only two individuals of K. b. belliana and one S. pardalis, all three captive in Kwazulu-Natal, contained H. parvula with encapsulated stages resembling those of Hemolivia mauritanica (Sergent et Sergent, 1904). For H. fitzsimonsi, parasite prevalences, but not parasitaemias, were significantly higher in captive than wild S. pardalis; captive female S. pardalis also showed a significantly greater prevalence of infection than males, but younger, lighter hosts were not significantly more heavily parasitized than older, heavier individuals. The ticks, Amblyomma marmoreum Koch, 1844 and A. sylvaticum (De Geer, 1778), found attached to some tortoises, may prove to be definitive hosts for the two species of haemogregarines observed.
Pseudocharopinus Kabata, 1964 is one of the 48 genera comprising the Lernaeopodidae (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida). Currently there are 11 accepted species contained in Pseudocharopinus. Pseudocharopinus pteromylaei Raibaut et Essafi, 1979 infects the spiracles and gill filaments of Pteromylaeus bovinus (Geoffroy St. Hilaire) and is most similar in general appearance to P. pteroplateae (Yamaguti et Yamasu, 1959) from which it clearly differs in the size and dimensions of the dorsal shield and the posterior processes. Additional features of the antenna and the maxilliped of P. pteromylaei, not previously illustrated, are discussed and illustrated while more detailed illustrations of other appendages are provided. This is the first report of the occurrence of a Pseudocharopinus species from the west Indian Ocean and the first report of P. pteromylaei off the east coast of South Africa.
A redescription of the adult male and praniza of Gnathia africana Barnard, 1914 is provided from material collected at three localities along the South African coast and from syntypes and other material deposited by the original author. This redescription is based on light and scanning electron microscopy.
A redescription of the adult male of Caecognathia cryptopais (Barnard, 1925) is provided from syntypes and other material deposited in the South African Museum. The generic status of Caecognathia cryptopais is also revised. This redescriplion is based on light and scanning electron microscopy.