Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 13. (Budapest, 1980)
1. Subfamily CATENOTAENIINAE Spassky, 1949 Description (after GENOV and TENORA, 1979): Cestodes of the family Catenotaeniidae. Testes situated only in lower part of proglottids, not surrounding ovary from lateral and dorsal side. Testes situated between lateral excretory canals or overlapping them; they may be divided partly or completely into two groups. Genital openings situated in lower part of anterior third of proglottids. Type genus: Catenotaenia Janicki, 1904. 2. Subfamily SKRJABINOTAENIINAE Genov et Tenora, 1979 Description (after GENOV and TENORA, 1979): Cestodes of the family Catenotaeniidae. Scolèx semioval or rounded. Testes never restricted to the lower part of proglottids, but surrounding ovary in various ways, and do not overlap lateral excretory canals. They may be divided into two groups. Genital openings in anterior part of upper third of proglottids, mostly in the same level like the anterior margin of the ovary. Ovary asymmetrical, its larger part mostly situated in aporal part of proglottids. Type genus: Skrjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946. Note: WERTHEIM (1954) described a new genus Rajotaenia. SPASSKY (1955) classified the genus Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 as a synonym of the genus Skrjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946 which belongs to the family Catenotaeniidae Spassky, 19 50. YAMAGUTI (1959) placed the genus Rajotaenia into the family Anoplocephalidae Cholodkowsky, 1902. He considered the genus Rajotaenia monotypic within the subfamily Rajotaeniinae Yamaguti, 1959. JOYEUX and BAER (1961) discussed S krjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946, Meggittina Linsdale, 1953 and Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 as synonyms of the genus Catenotaenia Janicki, 1904. TENORA (1964) held the genus Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 and the genus Meggittina Linsdale, 19 53 as synonyms of the genus S krjabinotaenia and the subfamily Rajotaeniinae as synonym of the family Catenotaeniidae. On the other hand SPASSKY (19 78) contrary from 1955 accepted Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 as a valid genus. GENOV and TENORA (1979) defined a new subfamily - Skrjabinotaeniinae - within the family Catenotaeniidae; this taxon includes only Skrjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946 with synonyms Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 and Meggittina Lynsdale, 1953. Thispaper demonstrates (see the following text) that the genus Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 is a synonym of the genus Meggittina Lynsdale, 1953 and not of Skrjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946. Only the absence of cirrus sac in Rajotaenia (compare in WERTHEIM, 19 54, YAMAGUTI, 1959) indicates that Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 is a valid taxon. JOYEUX and BAER (1961) contrary to WERTHEIM (1954) drew Rajotaenia gerbilli Wertheim, 1954 with a cirrus sac. It results from the data mentioned above that the genus Rajotaenia Wertheim, 1954 cannot be the type genus for the subfamily Rajotaeniinae Yamaguti, 1 959 not only due to the fact that it is a synonym of the genus Meggittina Lynsdale, 19 53 but also because the subfamily Rajotaeniinae Yamaguti, 1959 had been transferred from the family Anoplocephalidae into the family Catenotaeniidae and synonymized with it as early as in 19 64. On the other hand the existence of the taxon Skrjabinotaeniinae Genov et Tenora, 19 79 is fully substantiated because Skrjabinotaenia (classified as early as in 1946) represents its type genus. SYSTEMATIC S AND TAXONOMY OF THE SUBFAMILY CATENOTAENIINAE 1. Genus Catenotaenia Janicki, 1904 Description: Cestodes of the family Catenotaeniidae, subfamily Catenotaeniinae. Proglottids craspedonte. Scolex rounded or semioval, neck present. Gravid proglottids always longer than wide. Overy strongly asymmetrical. Anterior margin of ovary always exceeding the level of genital openings. Testes situated posteriorly to female organs, do not across the longitudinal excretory canals. Eggs oval, oncosphere provided with oval membrane, without processes. Larval stage of merocercoid type developing in arthropods and provided with apical sucker which may prevail even in mature specimens. Adult specimens are parasitic in rodents. Distribution: Holarctic and Ethiopian Region.
