A revision of the taxonomy of the blunt-hooked Raillietiella, pentastomid parasites of African, South-East-Asian and Indonesian lizards, with a description of a new species

Abstract

Three species of Raillietiella with blunt tips to the posterior hooks have been described from south-east Asia and Indonesia. However, we have established that two other species. R. hemidactyli from an Indian agamid lizard and R. mabuiae from an African skink, also possess blunt hooks but this fact is unaccountably not mentioned in early descriptions. The various species are distinguished by differences in body-length, or number of abdominal annuli and/or host and geographical distribution. Certain of the morphological characters overlap and some authors have considered the complex a single species. We have examined preserved material from a variety of sources, including type specimens, and by using comparative hook data and a standardized annulus counting procedure we show that at least three of the earlier described species are valid. A new species, R. frenatus, is described. An attempt is made to correct the various errors in identification that have crept into the more recent literature. ac]19801204