Revision of the Progamotaenia festiva species complex (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) from Australasian marsupials, with the resurrection of P. fellicola (Nybelin, 1917) comb. nov.

Abstract

Examination of all available specimens currently identified as Progamotaenia festiva from macropodid and vombatid marsupials together with comparison with published genetic data has allowed the recognition of seven new species based on morphological differences: P. adspersa sp. nov. from Macropus irma (Jourdan) from Western Australia, P. aemulans sp. nov. from Macropus dorsalis (Gray) from Queensland, P. corniculata sp. nov. from Lagorchestes conspicillatus Gould from Queensland, P. dilatata sp. nov. from Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) from Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, P. onychogale sp. nov. from Onychogalea unguifera (Gould) from Queensland, P. pulchella sp. nov. from Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard) from Western Australia, and P. vombati sp. nov. from Vombatus ursinus (Shaw) from Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital territory. Progamotaenia fellicola (Nybelin, 1917) comb. nov. is resurrected and is reported from Macropus agilis (Gould) from Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia as well as from Papua New Guinea. Within the redefined taxon P. festiva (Rudolphi, 1819), three morphotypes were recognised: the first lacking a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. giganteus Shaw (type host), M. rufus (Desmarest), M. robustus Gould and M. dorsalis, the second with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. parryi Bennett and M. robustus and the third, with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals but with a greater number of testes per segment, found in M. antilopinus (Gould) and M. robustus. Because the morphotypes are not entirely concordant with the genetic groups identified within P. festiva, all have been retained provisionally within this taxon.