Revision of the genera of Heligmonellidae (Nematoda, Heligmosomoidea), parasitic in Muridae from New Guinea

Abstract

Up to now, 24 genera of Nematoda belonging to the Nippostrongylinae (Heligmonellidae) have been reported from New Guinean murid rodents. Nine of these genera have been reviewed in previous works. In the present work, another 11 genera are re-examined on morphological characters mainly corresponding to the synlophe and to a lesser degree to the bursa. This re-examination leads us to recognize three valid genera: Melomystrongylus, Pogonomystrongylus and Nugininema. The remaining genera appear to us insufficiently described or seem to involve more than one taxon; we consider them genera inquirenda. These are: Mawsonema, Montistrongylus, Parvinema, Missimstrongylus, Flannerystrongylus, Helgenema and Paramelomystrongylus. The genus Rodentanema does not belong to the Nippostrongylinae but to the Herpetostrongylidae (Heligmosomoidea). In addition to the three genera recognized herein, nine other genera of Nippostrongylinae are present in New Guinea: Equilophos, Hasanuddinia, Hasegawanema, Hughjonestrongylus, Lesleyella, Macrostrongylus, Nippostrongylus, Parasabanema and Sanduanensis. Several species attributed to the genera Bunomystrongylus, Chisholmia, Odilia and Sabanema are insufficiently described and their generic assignment could not be rectified or ratified. Consequently, the presence of these latter genera in New Guinean rodents remains unconfirmed, until more complete descriptions or illustrations are provided.