Further studies on the diversity of Cylicospirura Vevers, 1922 (Nematoda: Spirocercidae) in African carnivores, with description of a new species.

Cylicospirura Vevers, 1922 is a genus of gastrointestinal spirurid nematodes parasitizing mainly felid but also canid, hyaenid and dasyurid hosts. Presently, 11 species are recognized worldwide, of which 4, Cylicospirura subaequalis, Cylicospirura felinea, Cylicospirura crocutae and Cylicospirura pardalis, have been recorded from African carnivores. In the present study, we describe Cylicospirura phiri n. sp. from hyaenas, namely Crocuta crocuta (type host) in Zimbabwe and Hyaena hyaena in Cameroon. The new species is the second species in the genus with bicuspid teeth. Furthermore, it can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters, such as the absence of accessory teeth, the length and shape of the muscular oesophagus, position of the nerve ring, deirids and excretory pore in relation to the muscular oesophagus, the position of the vulva, spicule length and the shape of the female tail. Additionally, based on new material, detailed morphological descriptions are provided for C. crocutae and C. pardalis whose original descriptions were based on fragmented material. The material from Felis lybica, currently deposited as C. subaequalis, is described as C. felinea. First-time scanning electron micrographs are presented for the 4 species confirmed in African carnivores.

Redescription of Maupasina weissi (Seurat, 1913) (Nematoda: Ascaridida) from sengis, Elephantulus spp. and Macroscelides proboscideus (Shaw) (Macroscelidea), in Africa.

Maupasina weissi (Seurat, 1913), is redescribed from the eastern rock sengi, Elephantulus myurus Thomas & Schwann, from Limpopo Province and compared with material collected from Free State and North West Provinces, South Africa, as well as the description of the type-material from South Tunisia. Distinguishing features of the species include a corona radiata of 12 pointed leaflike elements, a complex bipartite buccal capsule with 3 large bicuspid denticular lobes and 4 smaller club-shaped lobes and 11 (occasionally 10) pairs of cloacal papillae in the male. The complex taxonomic history of the genus Maupasina Seurat, 1917 is discussed. The probable misidentification of Macroscelides proboscideus Shaw, the short eared sengi, from North West Province, South Africa, as a host of M. weissi is explained, indicating that M. weissi occurs only in species of the genus Elephantulus Thomas & Schwann. The widely separated geographical regions, stretching the length of the African continent, in which M. weissi has been found are indicative of a conservative species with a broad geographical distribution. Tenebrionid beetles, up to 50% of stomach contents of E. myurus in Limpopo Province may act as intermediate hosts in the life-cycle of M. weissi.

Ingwenascaris n. g. (Nematoda: Ascaridida: Heterocheilidae) established for I. sprenti n. sp. and I. assymmetrica (Ortlepp, 1932) n. comb., parasites of African crocodiles, and an identification key to the genera of the Heterocheilidae.

Ingwenascaris n. g. (Nematoda: Heterocheilidae) is established to accommodate Ingwenascaris sprenti n. g., n. sp., described from the stomach of Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) in South Africa, based on light and scanning electron microscopy studies of its morphology. The new genus can be distinguished from other heterocheilid genera through a combination of its characters, including the pronounced asymmetry of each subventral lip due to an alate ventral margin and a non-alate margin facing the dorsal lip, the presence of continuous ridges of triangular denticles along the free labial margins, the lack of interlocking processes or a rostral plate, interlabia being indistinct or represented by small lateral interlabia between the dorsal and ventral lips only, the absence of prominent interlabial longitudinal cuticular ridges, the presence of lateral alae that are fused with the subventral lips, the presence of lateral caudal alae in both sexes, spicules of males that are composed of handle and alate blade, the presence of a gubernaculum, the number and arrangement of male caudal papillae and the position of the vulva near the anterior and middle third of the body in females. Ingwenascaris sprenti n. g., n. sp. represents the sixth heterocheilid genus parasitising African crocodilians. Trispiculascaris assymmetrica (Ortlepp, 1932) (syn. Porrocaecum assymmetricum Ortlepp, 1932) from a Central African crocodile is transferred to the new genus as I. assymmetrica (Ortlepp, 1932) n. comb. The genus Trispiculascaris Skrjabin, 1916 is considered a genus incertae sedis. An identification key to the genera of the family Heterocheilidae is presented.

Two new species of Cylicospirura Vevers, 1922 (Nematoda: Spirocercidae) from carnivores in southern Africa, with validation of the related genera Gastronodus Singh, 1934 and Skrjabinocercina Matschulsky, 1952.

Two new species of Cylicospirura Vevers, 1922 are described from carnivores from southern Africa. Cylicospirura crocutae Junker et Mutafchiev sp. n. from Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben) in Zimbabwe is distinguished from its congeners by combinations of characters, including the presence of four cephalic and four external labial papillae, while internal labial papillae were not distinct, the presence of groups of small accessory teeth between the six large tricuspid teeth, the fifth and the sixth pairs of the caudal papillae being equidistant from the cloaca, and a large ratio of length of the muscular oesophagus to that of the glandular oesophagus. Cylicospirura pardalis Junker et Mutafchiev sp. n. from Panthera pardus (Linnaeus) in the Republic of South Africa is characterized by having tricuspid teeth with large, claw-like, abaxial cusps, four cephalic and six internal labial papillae. Based on the number of caudal papillae and the position of the vulva, the subgenera Gastronodus Singh, 1934 and Skrjabinocercina Matschulsky, 1952 are re-elevated to generic rank. Amended diagnoses are proposed for the genera Cylicospirura, Gastronodus and Skrjabinocercina. Petrowospirura lyncis Matschulsky, 1952 is recognized as valid and, together with P. petrowi Sadykhov, 1957 and P. barusi Arya, 1979, is transferred to Cylicospirura as C. lyncis (Matschulsky, 1952) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n., C. petrowi (Sadykhov, 1957) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n. and C. barusi (Arya, 1979) Junker et Mutafchiev comb. n., respectively.