ON PTERYGODERMATITES (MULTIPECTINES) AFFINIS AND OTHER SPECIES OF MULTIPECTINES (NEMATODA, RICTULARIIDAE)

The morphology of the species Pterygodermatites (Multipectines) affini s (Jagerskiold, 1904) from the intestine of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes ) from France was studied in detail for the first time, and compared w ith the original description and redescriptions, including P. (M.) cah irensis (Jagerskiold, 1904) and P. (M.) splendida (Hall, 1913). On the basis of head morphology and structure, and of the shape of the bucca l capsule, the following species were differentiated and evaluated to be valid: P. (M.) affinis (parasitizing mainly C a n i d a e), P. (M.) cahirensis (parasitizing mainly F e l i d a e), both distributed in t he Palearctic Region. The nominal taxon P. (M.) splendida (parasitizin g C a n i d a e in the Nearctic Region) is evaluated to be only the su bspecies of the species P. affinis. On the basis of the Literature dat a studied and according to the values of their meristic and plastic fe atures, the species P. (M.) lupi (Panin et Lavrov 1962) n. comb., P. ( M.) petrowi (Sadychov, 1955) n. comb. and P. (M.) vulpi (Erkulov et Mo ldopiyazova, 1986) n. comb. were rearranged with notes into the genus Pterygodermatites Wedl, 1861, subgenus Multipectines Quentin, 1969, an d their species validity is discussed.