Description of Paranoplocephala etholeni n. sp. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) in the Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus, with a Synopsis of Paranoplocehala s. l. in Holarctic Rodents

Authors

Voitto Haukisalmi, Finnish Forest Research InstituteFollow
H. Henttonen, Finnish Forest Research Institute
J. Niemimaa, Finnish Forest Research Institute
Robert L. Rausch, University of WashingtonFollow

Date of this Version

12-2002

Comments

Published in Parasite: Journal de la Société Française de Parasitologie (December 2002) 9(4): 305-314. Copyright 2002, PRINCEPS Editions. Used by permission.

Abstract

Paranoplocephala etholeni n. sp, parasitizing the meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus in Alaska and Wisconsin, USA. is described Paranaplocephala etholeni is morphologically most closely related to the Nearctic Paranoplocephala ondatrae (Rausch, 1948). Available data suggest that P. etholeni is a host-specific, locally rare species that may have a wide but sporadic geographical distribution in North America. The finding of P. ondatrae-like cestodes in Microtus spp. suggests that this poorly known species may actually be a parasite of voles rather than muskrat (type host). A tabular synopsis of all the known species of Paranoplocephala s. I. in the Holarctic region with their main morphological features is presented.