SPALACINA-YANCHEVI N-G, N-SP (NEMATODA, HELIGMONELLIDAE) FROM THE LESSER MOLE-RAT SPALAX-LEUCODON (RODENTIA, SPALACIDAE)

Spalacina n. g. (Heligmonellidae, Nippostrongylinae) is erected for S. yanchevi n. sp. (type-species) [syns Helig-monina nevoi of Genov & Ja nchev (1982) and Genov (1984)] from Spalax leucodon (Spalacidae) and t wo other species from spalacid rodents previously considered as member s of Heligmonina Baylis, 1928: S. spalacis (Sharpilo, 1973) n. comb. a nd S. nevoi (Wertheim & Durette-Desset, 1975) n. comb. The new genus b elongs to the subfamily Nippostrongylinae and is closely related to th e genus Heligmonina from which it can be distinguished by a greater an gle of rotation of the synlophe, the absence of a gradient on the vent ral ridges and a weakly developed right dorsal ridge. The zoogeographi cal distribution of Spalacina spp. is associated with that of Palaearc tic spalacids. S. yanchevi differs from S. spalacis and S. nevoi in th e number and size of the ridges, the distance between the extremities of the rays 6 and 8, the degree of reduction of the dorsal ray and the length of the spicules.