Dr. Kassai Tibor szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 1. (Budapest, 1968)

Parasit. Hung. 1. 109-118.1968 The Lesser Mole Rat (Spalax leucodon Nordm.) as a New Host of Moniliformis moniliformis (Bremser. 1811) Meyer, 1933 (Acanthocephala, Moniliformidae) Dr. Éva MURAI Zoological Department of the Hungarian Natutal History Museum, Budapest The research staff of the Hungarian Natural History Museum are presently conducting investigations on the life history and population of the lesser mole rat (Spalax leucodon Nordmann, 1840) whose numbers are markedly decreasing owing to the expansion of large-scale agricultural practice. The parasites of the species are also being studied. Por this purpose, nine specimens of the rodent have been made available,four of which proved to be infected by parasites. Besides Nematodes, two individuals also harboured Acanthocephalids. No literature reporting Acanthocephalid parasites of Spalax species could be found. The Museum staff collect the host chiefly in the neighbourhood of the village of Haidubagos, in the county of Hajdu-BIhar. The two specimens, infected by Acanthocephalid parasites as well as the Nematode Heligmosomum spalacis Kirs

., which is new to our fauna (MÉSZÁROS, 1968), also came from this locality (collected by SZUNYOGHY, 24 May, 1967). With respect to longitudinal measurement, the 135 specimens, of diverse developmental stages but belonging to a single species, were distributed as follows: In the small intestine of one of the lesser mole rats, one immature, 38 mm long, female Acanthocephalid was found. In the other specimen were found 102 juvenile parasites of 1 to 40 mm in lenght, and 32 mature ones whose distribution as to sex and size is given below 18 male specimens: