Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 20. (Budapest, 1987)

yorkei is highly elongate whereas those of Paradilepis spp. are comparatively shorter and not so elongate. All these morphological differences as well as the ecological peculiarities mentioned above suggest that K. yorkei is not a form phylogenetically related to Paradilepis (s. str.) and represents an independent genus. SPASSKY (1965) and SPASSKAJA and SPASSKY (1977) regarded K. yorkei as a member of Megacirrus Beck, 1951. This opinion seems also unconvincing as the morphological features of K. yorkei are quite different from those of M. megapodii, M . leptophallus and M. hor vathi (see below). Only the characteristics of the rostellar hooks and the structure of the scoleces of these four species are very similar. Very likely this similarity is a result of convergence, i.e. a relatively later adaptation to the peculiarities of the host substratum. The internal morphology of K. yorkei (small number of testes, pattern of uterus development, structure of vitellarium and ovary, etc. ) renders it clearly distinguishable at a generic level from Megacirrus spp. Kotlanolepis gen. n. could be compared with some other genera of the fam. Dilepididae having a small number of testes. It differs from Himantaurus Spasskaja et Spassky, 1971 (the position of this genus in Dilepididae needs additional confirmation) in the shape of rostellar hooks, armament of the cirrus, pattern of the excretory canals, etc. (for characteristics of Himantaurus see SPASSKAJA and SPASSKY, 1978). Another similar genus is Dilepidoides Spassky et Spasskaja, 1954 including only one species from Gallus gallus in Indochina. These cestodes seem closely related to K. yorkei but differ in their hook arrangement (one row in Dilepidoides and two rows in Kotlanolepis

), armament and shape of the cirrus, structure of the ovary, etc. (for the characteristics of Dilepidoides see SPASSKY and JURPALOVA, 19 62). Genus: Megacirrus Beck, 1951 Megacirrus leptophallus (Kotlán, 1923) Spassky, 1965 Figs 9-14 and 30-34. Syn. : Dilepis leptophallus Kotlán, 1923 Host and locality: Megapodius freycinet affinis (Gaim., 1823) (originally labelled as Megapodius brunneiventris Meyer, 1874); New Guinea, Port Moresby, FriedrichWilheîmshäfen," collected"by~L~. BIRÓ in the years 1897-1899. Habitat: small intestine. Intensity: 85 specimens. Type material: Holotype, mounted by KOTLÁN (No. 4769/1); Paratypes, 1 whole mount preparation of KOTLÁN (No. 4769/2), 30 new stained specimens (Nos 4769/3-32), - transverse sections - from KOTLÁN, and 50 specimens in formaline. Holotype and paratypes deposited in HNHM, one specimens (No. 4769/3) in Central Helm. Lab., Sofia. Redescription (for measurements see Table 1): Longest strobila consisting of 380 proglottides (290 premature, 48 mature, 28 postmature and 14 gravid), with maximum width at last postmature proglottides. Scolex massive, not clearly distinguished from the initial part of the strobila. Suckers oval, with well developed musculature. Rostellum highly elongate, with maximum width at crown of hooks. Rostellar sheath very deep, reaching up to 10-15th proglottis. Rostellar hooks arranged regularly in two rows; anterior hooks longer than posterior ones; anterior hooks with blade 0.075-0.085 (av. 0.080, n=10) long and width handle 0.038-0.050 (av. 0.044, n=10) long; posterior hooks with blade 0.068-0.080 (av. 0.074, n=12) and handle 0.052-0.060 (av. 0.057, n=12) long. Genital pores unilateral, situated in middle of lateral margin of proglottis; in part of proglottides opened on genital papilla. Genital ducts dorsally to excretory canals (n=10). Ventral excretory canals 0.025-0.050 (av. 0.038, n = 8) wide, with anastomoses; dorsal excretory canals 0.002-0.005 (av. 0.003, n=9) wide.