A DESCRIPTION OF THE LIFE STAGES OF ECHINOPARYPHIUM ELEGANS (TREMATODA, ECHINOSTOMATIDAE)

The life cycle of Echinoparyphium elegans Looss 1899 is described from the Free State, South Africa. The freshwater snail Bulinus tropicus ( Krauss 1848), the intermediate host of Calicophoron microbothrium (Par amphistomum microbothrium Fischoeder, 1901) in this area, serves as fi rst intermediate host. The same snail species also harbours the metace rcaria stage. Adults of this parasite were obtained by feeding infecte d snails to laboratory-reared rats. All stages of the life cycle were described by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. A natura l infection was found in the cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus 175 8).