L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 12. 1998 (Budapest, 1998)

Tenora, F., Gubányi, A.; Eszterbauer, E.: Morphological investigation of Mesocestoides (Cestoda, Mesocestoididae) species parasitizing Vulpes vulpes in Hungary

MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tomus 12. 1998 p. 11-19 Morphological investigation of Mesocestoides (Cestoda, Mesocestoididae) species parasitizing Vulpes vulpes in Hungary by A. Gubányi and E. Eszterbauer (Received July 31, 1998) Abstract: Parasites of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were examined from different territories of Hungary in order to clarify morphological differentiation and taxonomic situation in the tapeworm genus Mesocestoides Vaillant, 1863. Two species of Mesocestoides were found, identification for the species recovered from red foxes in Hungary is the following: Mesocestoides litteratus (Batsch, 1786): cirrus pouch elongated, 48 to 96 pm (mean 70) in width, located anteriorly, near middle of segment, maximum diameter of testes 14 to 76 pm (mean 42); Mesocestoides lineatus (Goeze, 1782) Railliet, 1893: cirrus pouch oval, 118 to 244 pm (mean 165) in width, situated anteriorly, near middle of segment, maximum diameter of testes 56 to 213 pm (mean 115). Keywords: Cestoda, Mesocestoididae, Mesocestoides lineatus, Mesocestoides litteratus, morphology, host species: Vulpes vulpes, Hungary Introduction Members of the family Mesocestoididae Fuhrmann, 1907, are placed in two genera, Mesocestoides Vaillant, 1863 and Mesogyna Voge, 1952, however, the anatomy of the second one has not been fully described (Rausch 1994). Mesocestoides is the most common tapeworm in European foxes, though it seems to be rare on the British Isles (Loos-Frank & Zeyhle 1982). The taxonomy of Mesocestoides is also complicated as a consequence of the considerable morphological variation of the species. Goeze (1782) described two species from mammals: Taenia cateniformis and its variation as "variety" of Taenia cateniformis, which was designated by Batsch (1786) as Taenia litterata. These both belong to the genus Mesocestoides. The second species was Taenia lineata, which is also related to a species belonging to the genus Mesocestoides. Zeder (1800, 1803) described two true Mesocestoides tapeworms Alyselminthus litteratus and Halysis litterata. Zschokke (1885, 1889) published a detailed description about Taenia litterata Batsch, 1786. Mesocestoides canislagopodis (Rudolphi, 1810) published by Viborg (1795), called as Taenia canis lagopodis Rudolphi, 1810 was found by Krabbe (1865) in dogs and cats, may be the synonym of M. lineatus or M. litteratus or identical with M. kirbyi described by Chandler (1944). Witenberg (1934) regarded M. litteratus (Batsch, 1786), M. caestus Cameron, 1925 as a synonym of M. lineatus and incorrectly distinguished three forms of M. lineatus, such as M. lineatus forma lineata, M. lineatus forma literrata, M. lineatus forma caesta. Mesocestoides petrowi described by Sadychov (1971) seems to be a synonym of Mesocestoides litteratus (Batsch, 1786). Loos-Frank (1980) proposed a new name M. leptothylacus with type designation for