Volume 49/Number 2/Abstract 05
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Acta Parasitologica, Vol.49, No. 2, 2004, 140-144
Alexis Ribas* and Joan C. Casanova - A new whipworm, Trichuris feliui (Nematoda, Trichuridae) from Talpa europaea (Insectivora, Talpidae)
Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona. Avda. Diagonal s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain
*Corresponding author: aribas@ub.edu
ABSTRACT

Trichuris feliui sp. nov. from the common mole, Talpa europaea (L., 1758), in Spain is described. The new species differs from other Trichuris spp. cited in Soricomorpha. From T. busuluk Polozhentsev, 1935 and T. mettami (Baylis, 1935), T. feliui sp. nov. differs in the morphology of the vulvar region, the spicule tip, the terminal position of the anus in females of T. busuluk, and in metrical features (body length, maximal body width, oesophagus length, ratios of forebody to hindbody length, spicule length and width, width of spicule at the proximal end, length of spicular sheath, egg length and width). The species most similar to T. feliui is T. neomi. The presence of a vulvar appendage in females, two postcloacal papillae in males and the absence of a spicular tube in T. feliui, separate this species from T. neomi. Measurements of body length, maximal body width, oesophagus length, spicule length, spicule width, and spicule width at the proximal end are additional characters that distinguish the two species. From T. muris Schrank, 1788 and T. arvicolae Feliu et al., 2000 found in small mammals in the same site, T. feliui differs in metrical characters. Also, the vulvar appendage is absent in T. muris and T. arvicolae and the spicular tube is present in both species. The presence of T. feliui in T. europaea is discussed from the perspective of helminthological and biogeographical aspects of Talpa spp. and other Soricomorpha.


KEY WORDS: Trichuris feliui sp. nov., Trichuridae, nematodes, Talpa europaea, mole, Insectivora, Spain

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