Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 25. (Budapest, 1992)

Parasit, hung., 25:53-68,1992 © Hungarian Society of Parasitologists Molinostrongylus spp. (Nematoda: Molineidae) from bats in Bulgaria, with a review of European species Todor GENOV

1

, Rositsa STOYKOVA-HAJINIKOLOVA

1 and Ferenc MÉSZÁROS

2 Institute of Parasitology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, B-1133 Sofia, Acad. G. Bonchev str. bl. 25, Bulgaria Zoological Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross u. 13, Hungary (Received 11 December, 1992) Abstract: Four species of Molinostrongylus are recorded in bats in Bulgaria: M. alatus in Myotis myotis and M blythi, M. panousei ( =M. ornatus sensu Yanchev and Stoykova 1973) in Miniopterus schreibersi (new geographical record), M. skrjabini in Nyctalus noctula, and M. vespertilionis in Pipistrellus pipistrellus (new geographical record). The species are redescribed and figured. A survey of European Molinostrongylus spp. is presented. A total of 8 nominal species has been recorded in European bats; lists of records, hosts and localities are given for every species. M. tipula is regarded as species inquirenda; M. morosovi is considered nomen nudum. A key to Molinostrongylus spp. in Europe is included. Keywords: Molinostrongylus spp. (Nematoda), bats, review, morphology, redescriptions, Bulgaria INTRODUCTION A significant amount of data on the morphology and distribution of nematodes of the genus Molinostrongylus Skarbilovitch, 1934, parasitizing bats, has been published in many European countries in the recent decades. The present study aims at a redescription of four species of the genus Molinostrongylus based on a re-examination of the materials studied by Yanchev and Stoykova (1973) and on additional material collected from new hosts and localities in Bulgaria. Abrief review of Molinostrongylus spp. occurring in Europe is made and comments on their taxonomic status and distribution are included. A key to the European species of Molinostrongylus is proposed.