Acanthocephalans of the nominotypical subgenus of Plagiorhynchus (Plagiorhynchidae) from charadriiform birds in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London, with a key to the species of the subgenus

Abstract

Specimens of three species of the nominotypical subgenus of Plagiorhynchus Lühe, 1911 (Acanthocephala, Plagiorhynchidae) are deposited in the Parasitic Worms Collection of the Natural History Museum, London. Two of these species are from birds collected in the United Kingdom: Plagiorhynchus (Plagiorhynchus) crassicollis (Villot, 1875) from Charadrius hiaticula L. and P. (P.) odhneri Lundström, 1942 from C. hiaticula and Haematopus ostralegus L. The third species, P. (P.) charadrii (Yamaguti, 1939), is from Charadrius alexandrinus nihonensis Deignan in the Pescadore Islands (near Taiwan). Since the morphology of the three species is poorly known, these specimens are described and figured and any variation is commented upon. A key to the species of the subgenus Plagiorhynchus is presented.