New Annotated Records of Helminth Parasites with Light Microscopy II. Acanthocephala (Polymorphida)

Abstract

We give an account of 8 species of polymorphid acanthocephalans in 3 families collected from 14 various host species in different geographical locations. Each species account is annotated and morphologically presented using light microscopy showing characteristic diagnostic features. None of these accounts has been previously published. All geographical records and many host associations are new. This treatment includes Centrorhynchus spinosus (Kaiser, 1893) adults from Strix aluco Linn. In Iran and cystacanths from Osteopilus septentrionalis (Duméril & Bibron) in Florida; Sphaerirostris lancea (Westrumb, 1821) from Vanellus vanellus (Linn.) in Ukraine; Sphaerirostris picae (Rudolphi, 1819) Golvan, 1956 from various hosts in Ukraine, Iran, Bulgaria and Egypt (Centrorhynchidae); Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) cylindraceus (Goeze, 1782) Schmidt & Kuntz, 1966 from Turdus merula Linn. in Iran and Sturnus vulgaris Linn. in Wisconsin; Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) nicobarensis Soota & Kansal, 1970 from S. vulgaris in Iran (Plagiorhynchidae); Andracantha gravida (Algret, 1941) Schmidt, 1975 from Gavia immer (Brunnich) in Florida; Arhythmorhynchus brevis Van Cleave, 1916 from Casmerodius albus (Linn.) in Florida, and Southwellina hispida (Van Cleave, 1925) Witenberg, 1932 (= Polymorphus ardeae Belopolskaya, 1958) from Ardea cinerea Linn. in Macedonia and from Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.) in Florida.