PROTERODIPLOSTOME PARASITES (DIGENEA, PROTERODIPLOSTOMIDAE) OF THE CAIMAN, CAIMAN-CROCODILUS-YACARE (REPTILIA, CROCODYLIA) IN THE PANTANAL-MATO-GROSSENSE, BRAZIL, WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF 2 NEW SPECIES

Two new species are described fr om the caiman, Caiman crocodilus yaca re. Proterodiplostomum breve n. sp. differs fr om all other species in the genus by the following characteristics: (1) the paraprostate glan d is shorter and club-shaped; (2) the genital cone is, in average, eig ht times longer than that of P. medusae; (3) the genital atrium is lar ger and without pseudosuckers; (4) the oral sucker and pharynx ave lon ger; and (5) there are larger numbers of papillae surrounding the trib ocytic organ (40) against 20 in P. longum, 16 in P. tumidilum, 8 in P. ophidum, and 16-18 in P. medusae. Proterodiplostomum globulare n. sp. differs fr om all the other species in the genus by the following cha racteristics: (1) from P. tumidilum, P. longum, P. medusae, and P. bre ve n. sp. for the absence of pseudosuckers or muscular bunches in the inferior wall of the genital atrium; (2) the shape of the paraprostate gland, which is globular and not cylindrical as in P. longum, P. tumi dilum, P. medusae, and P. ophidum; (3) the size of the tribocytic orga n is 201-407 long, 183-495 wide, while is 138-270 long, 102-292 wide i n P. medusae, and 138-270 long, 255 wide in P. ophidum; (4) the number of papillae in the tribocytic organ (18-20) in P. globulare and 16-18 in P. medusae, and 8 in P. ophidum Specimens belonging to six other s pecies of proterodiplostomes are recorded for the first time infecting the caiman, C. c. yacare in the Pantanal Mato-grossense, Brazil, name ly: Proterodiplostomum medusae, P. tumidilum, Cystodiplostomum hollyi, Prolecithodiplostomum constrictum, Paradiplostomum abbreviatum, and H erpetodiplostomum caimancola.