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Five new species of Potamotrygonocotyle (Monocotylidae) are described and Paraheteronchocotyle amazonense Mayes, Brooks et Thorson, 1981 (Hexabothriidae) is redescribed from monogenoideans collected on the gills of species of Potamotrygonidae from the Negro River, Amazon, Brazil. Potamotrygonocotyle quadracotyle sp. n. and P. umbella sp. n. were found parasitizing an undescribed species of Potamotrygon; Potamotrygonocotyle rarum sp. n. is described from Potamotrygon schroederi; Potamotrygonocotyle rionegrense inhabits Potamotrygon cf. motoro; Potamotrygonocotyle aramasae sp. n. is a parasite of Paratrygon aiereba; and Paraheteronchocotyle amazonense is reported from Potamotrygon orbignyi. The diagnosis of Paraheteronchocotyle is emended, and P. amazonense is redescribed.

We studied a natural infection of the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 with the Raabeia-type actinosporean stage of Myxobolus lentisuturalis Dyková, Fiala et Nie, 2002 which infected goldfish Carassius auratus auratus (L.) in Italy, using molecular analysis of the SSU rRNA gene. The existence of intraoligochaete development shows that this parasite follows the life-cycle pattern described by Wolf and Markiw (1984) for Myxobolus cerebralis. Histological examinations of the goldfish infected by M. lentisuturalis showed at low magnification the presence of two bilateral crescent-shaped masses in the dorsal epaxial muscle. These lesions were not circumscribed, presented irregular edges and infiltrated the underlying bundles of skeletal muscle and interstitial tissue. At higher magnification, disappearance of muscle fibres and substitution of the muscle tissue with Myxobolus spores and plasmodia were observed.

Latent toxoplasmosis has been previously found to cause behavioural and personality changes in humans, which are specific for each gender. Here we tested the stress hypothesis of these gender differences based on the assumption that latent toxoplasmosis causes long-term subliminal stress. In line with this hypothesis, the gender difference will appear specifically in situations with interpersonal context because in contrast to the typical individualistic coping style of men, women have a tendency to express elevated prosocial behaviour under stress. Altogether 295 biology students (29/191 females and 27/104 males infected by T. gondii) played a modified version of the Dictator Game and the Trust Game. As predicted, a gender difference in the effect of latent toxoplasmosis was found for the measure of reciprocal altruism in the Trust Game (p=0.016), but both genders appeared less generous when infected in the Dictator Game modified to minimize social connotation (p=0.048).

We have developed a PCR assay that in a single reaction distinguishes between Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani strains on the basis of different size of the amplicon. The targeted intergenic region between putative biopterin transporter and nucleotide binding protein on chromosome 35 is highly variable, species-specific and can be amplified from clinical samples. Based on the assay, five tested Leishmania archibaldi and L. infantum strains from the Sudan and Ethiopia clearly belong to L. donovani, which is in accordance with a recent multifactorial analysis of these strains. The nucleotide sequence reported in this paper has been submitted to the GenBank^TM with accession number EU068004.

A new genus, Alanlewisia, of the family Caligidae is established to accommodate a sea louse species originally, but tentatively, placed in the genus Lepeophtheirus by Lewis (1967). The type species is Alanlewisia fallolunulus (Lewis, 1967) comb. n., which is redescribed in detail based on new material collected from bluespine unicornfish, Naso unicornis (Forsskål), caught off New Caledonia in the South Pacific. This species was originally described by Lewis (1967) under the binomen Lepeophtheirus? fallolunulus from the same host species collected in Hawaii. This species was subsequently transferred to the genus Anuretes by Ho and Lin (2000). Lewis was uncertain of the generic placement primarily because of the possession, in the females only, of paired lunule-like structures on the ventral surface of the modified frontal plates. In both sexes the first swimming leg is biramous, with a well-developed endopod bearing 2 long, sparsely-plumose setae, and the third leg has a 2-segmented exopod. This combination of characters serves to differentiate the new genus from existing genera. Preliminary phylogenetic analysis suggests that the new genus represents an early offshoot from the main caligid lineage, basal to the Paralebion-Tuxophorus-Caligus clade identified by Boxshall and Justine (2005).

One new and three previously described species of Trianchoratus Price et Berry, 1966 were collected from the gills of Channa lucius (Cuvier) and Channa striata (Bloch) from the Bukit Merah Reservoir, Perak and Endau-Rompin, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. They are Trianchoratus longianchoratus sp. n., T. malayensis Lim, 1986 and T. pahangensis Lim, 1986 from C. lucius, and T. ophicephali Lim, 1986 from C. striata. The new species differs from the Trianchoratus species hitherto described from channids and anabantoids in having two ventral anchors with a long curved inner root and one dorsal anchor with a curved inner root and lacking an outer root. A table summarizing the known species of heteronchocleidins (Trianchoratus, Eutrianchoratus and Heteronchocleidus) and Sundanonchus reported from fish hosts of different families (Channidae, Helostomatidae, Anabantidae and Osphronemidae) is provided.

A new species, Sphaeromyxa noblei sp. n., is described from Heteroclinus whiteleggii (Perciformes: Clinidae), a marine fish from the coast of New South Wales in Australia. This raises the number of Sphaeromyxa species to 38; their list is presented. The species is characterised by a layer of branched glycostyles, which is about 2.4 µm thick and is a feature rather unique in Myxosporea. Pansporoblasts form one or two spores. The study of ultrastructure of this species and of those described to date result in recognition of a combination of patterns characterising the genus: plasmodia have marked surface projections, the endoplasm is full of vacuoles larger than in any other myxosporean genus, and contains a special kind of cells, the lobocytes. Sections through polar capsule reveal different appearance of subsequent stretches of the polar filament unlike in other Myxosporea.

Dendromonocotyle lotteri sp. n. is described from the dorsal skin surface of the stingray Himantura gerrardi (Gray) on exhibit in the public aquarium at the Atlantis resort in Dubai. It is differentiated from all other Dendromonocotyle species by the unique morphology of the distal portion of the sclerotised male copulatory organ. Dendromonocotyle lotteri is the second representative in the genus with 56 marginal haptoral papillae having a papillae to loculus association represented numerically as 6-6-8-8. We found Dendromonocotyle colorni Chisholm, Whittington et Kearn, 2001 on the same host specimens at the Atlantis resort public aquarium and Dendromonocotyle kuhlii Young, 1967 on Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller et Henle) kept at Burgers' Zoo Aquarium in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Supplemental information is provided for both D. colorni and D. kuhlii. The presence of Dendromonocotyle infections in public aquaria and host specificity are discussed. A key to the 17 species of Dendromonocotyle is also provided.

Morphometric analyses are used to evaluate the taxonomic status of two sympatric variants of Gyrodactylus anisopharynx Popazoglo et Boeger, 2000 (forma "large-pharynx" and forma "small-pharynx"). The parasites were collected from the Piraquara River and the Miringuava River, State of Paraná, Brazil, between February 2005 and May 2006. A total of 132 parasites were measured from two hosts, Corydoras ehrhardti Steindachner and Corydoras paleatus (Jenyns). Eleven morphological features of the haptoral sclerites and pharynx were measured and analysed by discriminant analysis and principal components analysis. The results indicate that the observed morphological variation cannot be associated to intraspecific variation or phenotypic plasticity (P < 0.0001). Consequently, the two variants previously allocated in G. anisopharynx represent two independent species. Since the holotype was defined as the variant "large-pharynx", Gyrodactylus corydori sp. n. is proposed to accommodate specimens previously reported as "small-pharynx" variant of G. anisopharynx. Morphometric analyses showed that the hook, the anchor, and the pharyngeal bulb are significantly distinct (P < 0.0001) between G. corydori sp. n. and G. anisopharynx (s.s.). The new species is characterized by having hooks with point moderately curved, robust convex heel, convex shelf, toe concave moderately pointed with depression; deep bar with two submedial, posterior projections; anchors with robust superficial root; superficial bar with two small anterolateral projections; and male copulatory organ armed with two rows of spinelets.

Gyrodactylus thymalli Žitňan, 1960 and G. salaris Malmberg, 1957 have an indistinguishable ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequence, but exhibit surprisingly high levels of intra- and interspecific sequence variation of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (CO1) gene. To test whether different populations of these reportedly very similar species could be discriminated using morphometric methods, we examined the morphometry of four different populations representing different mitochondrial clades. Twenty five point-to-point measurements, including five new characters of the attachment hooks, were recorded from three Norwegian laboratory populations (G. salaris from the Rivers Lierelva and Rauma, and G. thymalli from the River Rena), and from one wild population of G. thymalli from the River Test, UK. The Norwegian populations were kept under identical environmental conditions to control for the influence of temperature on the haptoral attachment hooks. Data were subsequently subjected to univariate and linear stepwise discriminant analyses. The model generated by the linear stepwise discriminant analysis used 18 of the 25 original variables, the first two roots accounting for 96.6% of the total variation between specimens. The hamulus shaft length accounts for 66.7% of the overall correct classification efficiency. Based on morphometry, all specimens were assigned to the correct species. Apart from three specimens of G. salaris from the River Lierelva population which were misclassified as belonging to the G. salaris Rauma population, all specimens were assigned to the correct population. Thus, populations of Gyrodactylus identified by mtDNA can also be discriminated using morphometric landmark distances.

A new species of the cyclopoid copepod genus Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 is described based on adult female specimens removed from the gills of the yellow snapper Lutjanus argentiventris (Peters) and the yellowfin snook Centropomus robalito Jordan et Gilbert from a Pacific coastal system of Mexico. The new species Ergasilus davidi sp. n. has a combination of characters that includes a two-segmented first leg endopod, a three-segmented fourth leg endopod, and the presence of a single seta on the first antennular segment. These characters are shared with 14 other congeners known mainly from Brazil and North America. It differs from these other species in the armature and ornamentation of legs 1 and 4, the shape of the body, and the structure and ornamentation of the antennae. Additional characters include a maxillar basis armed with blunt teeth, distally bent maxillular setae, and naked margins of first exopodal segments of legs 2-4. Previous regional records of Ergasilus sp. from both fish species are probably assignable to E. davidi. The prevalence and intensity of infection was estimated for both teleost species and agrees to previous data. Based on other records of the genus from several other teleost species in the surveyed area and adjacent zones of the Eastern Pacific, it is presumed that the new species could have a wider range of hosts. The new species represents the first Ergasilus described from Mexican waters of the Pacific. Overall, the genus remains poorly known in Central America and Mexico.

A new nematode species, Paracapillaroides acanthocotylus sp. n., is described from the marine fish Nemadactylus bergi (Norman) (Latridae, Perciformes) from waters off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38°08'S, 57°32'W) (prevalence 81.8%, mean intensity 12.4 ± 10.3). The new species is readily distinguished from P. agonostomi Moravec, Salgado-Maldonado et Caspeta-Mandujano, 1999, the only known species of the genus, by having in both sexes a longer oesophagus in relation to total body length. Males of the new species have a shorter and more complex spicule and a markedly different morphology of the spicular sheath; the rays supporting the caudal bursa are also shorter and rounded, instead of digitiform. Furthermore, females of the new species have elevated vulval lips and longer eggs. The complex structure of both the spicule and spicular sheath is unique among all capillariids parasitizing cold-blooded vertebrates. This is the first record of a species of Paracapillaroides in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

During surveys of parasites of the whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest) and the mullet Mugil platanus Günther from Samborombón Bay, Argentina, Trichodina puytoraci, T. lepsii, T. jadranica, T. murmanica, Diparitella simplex and Trichodina scalensis sp. n. were morphologically studied. Taxonomic and morphometric data for these trichodinids based on dry silver nitrate-impregnated specimens are presented. This study is the first formal report of these trichodinids from the southwest Atlantic Ocean, and the description of a new species from M. platanus.

Larvae (metacestodes) of tapeworms of the cyclophyllidean family Gryporhynchidae (previously included in the Dilepididae) occur in different internal organs of fresh- and brackish water fish (110 fish species of 27 families in 12 orders reported), which serve as the second intermediate hosts. The species composition, spectrum of fish hosts, sites of infection, and geographical distribution of gryporhynchids recorded from fish are reviewed here on the basis of literary data and examination of extensive material from helminthological collections. Metacestodes of the following genera have been found in fish: Amirthalingamia Bray, 1974 (1 species), Ascodilepis Guildal, 1960 (1), Cyclustera Fuhrmann, 1901 (4), Dendrouterina Fuhrmann, 1912 (1), Glossocercus Chandler, 1935 (3), Neogryporhynchus Baer et Bona, 1960 (1), Paradilepis Hsü, 1935 (5), Parvitaenia Burt, 1940 (2), and Valipora Linton, 1927 (3). However, most published records concern only three species, namely Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus (Wedl, 1855) from the intestinal lumen, Paradilepis scolecina (Rudolphi, 1819) from the liver and mesenteries, and Valipora campylancristrota (Wedl, 1855) from the gall bladder of cyprinids and other fish in the Palaearctic Region. Data on other species as well as reports from other regions are very scarce and almost no information is available from Australia, tropical Asia and South America. A recent study of gryporhynchid metacestodes from Mexico (Scholz and Salgado-Maldonado 2001), which reported 13 species, suggested that they may be more common than indicated by records in the literature. Although only a few cases of pathogenic influence of larvae on fish hosts have been reported, the veterinary importance of gryporhynchids remains to be assessed on the basis of more detailed studies. The data available indicate a strict host and site specificity of some species whereas others occur in a wide spectrum of fish hosts and are not strictly site-specific. Evaluation of Paradilepis larvae from the liver of salmonid fish from British Columbia, Canada, identified as P. simoni Rausch, 1949 by Ching (1982), has shown that they probably belong to two species, P. simoni and P. rugovaginosus Freeman, 1954. Metacestodes of the latter species and those of Cyclustera magna (Baer, 1959) from the intestinal wall of Tilapia zillii (Gervais) from Kenya are reported from fish for the first time.

Gyrodactylus pisculentus sp. n. is described from the head, body and fins of the northern pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus Storer (Syngnathidae) from the environs of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. The new species is compared with Gyrodactylus shorti and Gyrodactylus syngnathi, species previously recorded from pipefish in the United States and Norway, respectively. Gyrodactylus pisculentus was frequently associated with mortality of northern pipefish held in quarantine at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium during 2002-2005. The clinical account of the infections and treatment protocols are presented.

This article summarises the current knowledge of the rabbit coccidia and the disease they cause. Various aspects, such as life cycles, localisation in the host, pathology and pathogenicity, immunity and control, are discussed.

Six young tortoises Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1792 were experimentally infected with Hemolivia mauritanica (Sergent et Sergent, 1904). The prepatent period ranged from 6 to 8 weeks. Young, smaller, club-like forms (6-9 × 3-6 µm) of gametocytes appeared in the peripheral blood first, whereas mature, elongated, cylindrical forms (9-12 × 5-7 µm) were detected after 1-2 weeks and predominated during later patency. Three of the infected tortoises were euthanized and dissected to study the endogenous stages. Meronts occurred in the cells of the reticulo-endothelial system and in the erythrocytes; these were observed mostly in parenchymatous organs. Mature forms measured 14.2 × 9.3 µm and contained 7-12 merozoites. Cysts with two (exceptionally one) cystozoites were also found predominantly in parenchymatous organs and measured 14.8 × 7.9 µm. Pathological changes attributable to Hemolivia were mild and limited to liver and kidneys. The role of individual developmental stages of haemogregarines is discussed with respect to evolution of heteroxenous life cycle and long-term persistence of parasites in their intermediate hosts.

A series of experiments have been undertaken to determine the effect of water extracts from pine bark (Pinus radiata) on the inhibition of the sporulation of oocysts of three species of avian coccidia. Tubes containing coccidian oocysts isolated from droppings of coccidia-infected chickens were randomly assigned to 0, 250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml pine bark extract (PBE). The tubes were incubated at 25-29 oC for 48 h depending on the species of Eimeria. Sporulation inhibition bioassay was used to evaluate the activity of PBE on the sporulation of coccidian oocysts. The oocysts were gently aerated with an air pump away from sun light. The results show for the first time that water-soluble extracts from pine bark containing 35% condensed tannins have anticoccidial activity as evidenced by their ability to decrease significantly the sporulation of the oocysts of three species of Eimeria, namely Eimeria tenella (Railliet et Lucet, 1891), E. maxima Tyzzer, 1929 and E. acervulina Tyzzer, 1929, under laboratory conditions. Incubation of unsporulated oocysts of these parasites in water containing 500 µg PBE per ml resulted in inhibition of sporulation of these oocysts by about 28-84% relative to the oocysts in the control incubations. In addition, up to 12% of E. maxima oocysts exposed to 500-1000 µg pine bark/ml were containing abnormal sporocysts in terms of size, number and shape.

Morphology of adult parasitic hermaphrodites, free-living males and females, rhabditoid and infective larvae of Rhabdias agkistrodonis Sharpilo, 1976 is described. Adult parasites of the species differ from corresponding stage of other Rhabdias species from snakes in the presence of short cuticular needle on the tip of the tail. Free-living generation stages of R. agkistrodonis have typical rhabditoid morphology. Homogonic infective larvae differ from heterogonic ones in the shape of stoma and oesophagus. Three new hosts: Halys viper (Agkistrodon halys) (Pallas) from Altaiskii Krai (Russia), Okinawa habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) (Hallowell) and T. elegans (Gray) from Okinawa Island (Japan) are added to the host range of R. agkistrodonis known previously exclusively from short-tailed viper (Agkistrodon blomhoffi) from the Russian Far East.

Studies involving comparisons of taxa that vary in their degree of relatedness may allow the distinction of functional and phylogenetic components in cercarial sensory systems. In this study, cercariae of allocreadiids Bunodera Railliet, 1896 and Crepidostomum Braun, 1900, lecithodendriid Allassogonoporus Olivier, 1938 and opecoelid Allopodocotyle Pritchard, 1966 were compared as regards ultrastructure and chaetotaxy of sensory receptors as well as neuromorphology. Cercariae were treated with acetylthiocholine iodide and silver nitrate and some were processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The types of cercarial sensory receptors differed in the presence of a tegumentary sheath, a dome-like base and a tegumentary collar, number of cilia (0, 1, 2 or more), cilium length (short, moderately long or long) and tegumentary collar length (low to moderately low, high or very high). Chaetotaxic patterns were consistent at the family level in all taxa studied. Irregular cholinergic nerve networks were identified. The present study indicates that the major categories of cercarial sensory receptors are nonciliated (including sheathed and subtegumentary types) and ciliated (including uncollared and collared types) receptors. It also allows the distinction of functional and phylogenetic components in the sensory systems of the cercariae studied. Functional components were reflected in the numbers of sensory receptors associated with each nerve region and in the ultrastructure and site-specificity of receptor types. Phylogenetic components included taxon-specific chaetotaxic patterns and receptor types.

Effort was made to identify Naegleria strains isolated from organs of fish, using phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA and ITS sequences. Eighteen fish-isolated strains studied enlarged substantially the so far available set of Naegleria strains characterized by both molecular markers. The phylogenetic analyses of separate and concatenated SSU rDNA and ITS sequences revealed phylogenetic relationships of strains under study; however, they failed to solve classification of fish-isolated strains into species. The sequence similarity of strain-representatives of Naegleria species as well as data obtained on intragenomic variation of ITS sequences discouraged the authors from the definition of new species. The results of the present study provide evidence of a need to re-evaluate the current practice of setting boundaries between species of the genus Naegleria. Sequences obtained in this study have been deposited in GenBank with accession numbers DQ768714-DQ768743.

Soricimyxum fegati gen. et sp. n. is a new myxosporean (Myxozoa) species discovered in the liver of shrews, Sorex araneus L., collected in the Bialowieza primeval forest (Poland). Both developmental stages and mature spores were found during a histological study. The infection had about 40% prevalence at the investigated locality. Plasmodia were polysporic. Elongated plasmodia with an average size of 30 by 8 µm occupied bile ducts and larger rounded plasmodia up to 80 µm in diameter were found in liver parenchyma where they most probably entered after the ducts had been destructed. Plasmodia in both locations elicited a vigorous inflammatory reaction. Spores were of an ovoid shape, 7 µm long, 5.4 µm wide and about 3.5 µm thick. They had two shell valves and two equal polar capsules, located in opposite ends of the spore.

Two new species of coccidian parasites are described from African reptiles. Oocysts of Eimeria foulshami sp. n. from the plated lizard Gerrhosaurus major bottegoi Del Prato of Sudan are ellipsoidal, 24.1 × 14.9 (23-26.5 × 14-17.8) µm with a bilayered, colourless oocyst wall and lack polar granules. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 8.6 × 4.6 (7-10.6 × 4.4-7) µm and possess a prominent, globular, sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Caryospora regentensis sp. n. from the green mamba Dendroaspis viridis Hallowell of Kenya are spherical to subspherical, 16.8 × 16.4 (16-17.6 × 15-17.2) µm with a bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The ellipsoidal sporocysts average 13.0 × 10.3 (10.2-14 × 9.2-11) µm and possess a Stieda and substieda body and a prominent globular sporocyst residuum. Oocysts of Caryospora legeri Hoare, 1933 are reported from a hissing sand snake, Psammophis sibilans sibilans L. from Nigeria, representing a new geographical record. The oocysts are slightly larger than the type, but otherwise identical. Caryospora psammophi Bray, 1960 and C. hermae Bray, 1960 from Psammophis sibilans phillipsi, oocysts of which are morphologically similar to and overlap in dimensions with C. legeri Hoare, 1933, are synonymised with the latter species. Eimeria samiae Iskander et Tadros, 1979 is emended to E. samyadeli to reflect the gender of the person the species was named after and because E. sami is preoccupied. In addition to these findings, Eimeria bohemi Modrý, Šlapeta et Koudela, 2000 and oocysts of an unidentified spherical Eimeria sp. are reported from Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis Leach from Cameroon.

Sixteen labrid species, including four Bodianus spp., were examined in New Caledonia (South Pacific) and monogeneans were found only on Bodianus perditio (Quoy et Gaimard). This species, Haliotrema banana sp. n., is the second Haliotrema species to be described from the labrids, the first being Haliotrema bodiani Yamaguti, 1968 from Bodianus albotaeniatus (Valenciennes), previously designated as B. bilunulatus (Lacépède). The new species is similar to H. bodiani in soft reproductive parts but differs from it in the morphologies of the hard haptoral parts, mainly in the shape of the dorsal bar (bar-shaped vs V-shaped in H. bodiani) and ventral bar. It is similar to Haliotrema spirale Yamaguti, 1968 and Haliotrema minutospirale Yamaguti, 1968 in the shape of the anchors and bars but differs from them in the detailed structures of the copulatory organ and vaginal system.

Males of the nematode Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935), the type species of the genus Philometra Costa, 1845, were discovered for the first time in gonads of its type host, the Japanese seaperch, Lateolabrax japonicus (Cuvier). Morphological comparisons carried out between the collected male and female P. lateolabracis with the male and female philometrid nematodes previously reported as P. lateolabracis infecting chicken grunt, Parapristipoma trilineatum (Thunberg), and red sea bream, Pagrus major (Temminck et Schlegel), revealed that the latter represent two new species, Philometra isaki sp. n. and Philometra madai sp. n., respectively. Molecular comparison of ITS2 rDNA between P. lateolabracis and P. madai supported the morphological conclusion that the two nematodes obtained from different fish species should be assigned to different species.

The development of the nematode Spinitectus inermis (Zeder, 1800), a parasite of the stomach of eels, Anguilla anguilla (L.) in Europe, was experimentally studied. Mayfly nymphs Caenis macrura, Ecdyonurus dispar, Heptagenia sulphurea, Potamanthus luteus and Seratella ignita from Portugal and the Czech Republic were found to serve as experimental intermediate hosts. After ingestion of the nematode eggs by the mayfly nymphs, the toothed first-stage larvae were released and penetrated into the body cavity of the intermediate host. There they moulted twice (on day 4 and 6 post infection [p.i.] at water temperatures of 20-25°C), attaining the third infective stage. The definitive host, A. anguilla, undoubtedly acquires infection by feeding on mayfly nymphs harbouring infective-stage larvae. In an experimentally infected eel, the fourth-stage larva undergoing the third moult was observed 28 days p.i. at water temperature of 20ºC. The larval stages, including moulting forms, are described and illustrated. The prepatent period of S. inermis is estimated to be about two months.

A case of attachment and complete engorgement of a Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) nymph on a woman with severe pain shortly before nymphal drop-off is described. The pain continued for about 2 weeks after tick removal. Apparently, this is the first documented case of human adverse reaction developed at the very last stage of engorgement of nymphal R. sanguineus. The infestation most likely took place inside the enclosed household garden in the southern area of Jerusalem where the woman took care of the plants. The importance of immature R. sanguineus ticks in attacking humans is discussed.

Neoskrjabinolepis (Neoskrjabinolepidoides) merkushevae sp. n. is described from the shrew Sorex minutus L. (type host) from Belarus. The new species is characterised by rostellar hooks 35-37 µm long, provided with small epiphyseal thickening of the handle; short (35-40 µm) cirrus consisting of a basal part with claw-shaped spines, a parabasal part with thin needleshaped spines and an unarmed distal part; cirrus-sac slightly passing into median field; and 12-16 eggs per gravid uterus. In addition to the type host and the type locality, the host range of the new species includes Sorex araneus L. and there are geographical records from Bulgaria, Lithuania and North-East Altay (Russia).