L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 8. 1993 (Budapest, 1993)

Biserkov, V. Y., Mészáros, F. , Genov, T.; Chipev, N.: The synlophe of Dessetia moldovensis (Andreiko, 1963) (Trichostrongyloidea, Heligmosomidae), from the lesser mole rat, Spalax leucodon Nordmann, (Rodentia, Spalacidae)

present in the figures (for both sexes 15 ridges could be counted in the posterior end of body). The differences between our data and the descriptions and figures of Genov & Yanchev (1981) and Genov (1984) concerning the morphology of the synlophe within the anterior third of body could be explained with the thicker sections, obviously used by these authors, which could not be studied at high magnifications. According to Genov & Yanchev (1981) and Genov (1984) the synlophe of Dessetia is very different from the synlophe of the other genera in Heligmosomidae. The new data on the morphology of the synlophe of D. moldovensis presented here [e.g. unequivocal determination of the angle of the orientation axis of ridges to the sagittal axis; presence of a small ridge in middle of the ventral surface before the comaretes; presence of 2 ventral left comaretes in the anterior and 3 in the posterior part of body with gradient in size from right to left; confirmed maximum number of ridges (16)] characterize completely the species and the genus and provide reasons to confirm the status of D. moldovensis in the family Heligmosomidae. On the basis of the characteristics of the synlophe of D. moldovensis this species could be considered as an evolved Heligmosomoides. The observed differences between previous descriptions and data presented in this paper indicate that study of the synlophe requires cross sections from all parts of the body and application of the technique developed by Maeseneer & D'Herde (1963), which allows the study of slides by immersion. References Durette-Desset, M.-C. (1983): Key to genera of the superfamily Trichostrongyloidea. - In: Anderson R.C. & Chabaud A.G. (eds) CIH Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates, 10, 68 pp. Genov, T. (1984): Helminths of insectivorous mammals and rodents in Bulgaria. - Sofia, Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 348 pp. [in Bulgarian]. Genov, T & Yanchev, Y.I. (1981): Dessetia gen. n. (Heligmosomidae) and new data on the morphology and taxonomy of Dessetia moldovensis (Andreiko, 1963) comb. n. - Compt Rend Acad Bulg. Sei. 34: 1157-1160. Maeseneer, J. de & D'Herde, J. (1963): Méthodes utilisées pour l'étude de anguillules libres du sol. Revue Agric. Brüx. 16: 441-447. Authors' addresses: Dr. Vulko Y. Biserkov Dr. Todor Genov Dr. Necho Chipev Institute of Parasitology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Acad. G. Bonchev Str., BI.25,

1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. Dr. Ferenc Mészáros Zoological Department Hungarian Natural History Museum Baross u. 13. H-1088 Budapest, Hungary