OSWALDOCRUZIA VENEZUELENSIS SP-N (NEMATODA, TRICHOSTRONGYLINA, MOLINEOIDEA), A PARASITE OF BUFO-MARINUS FROM VENEZUELA

A new species of Oswaldocruzia Travassos, 1917, a parasite of Bufo mar inus L. from Venezuela, is described. Like most Neotropical Oswaldacru zia, Oswaldacruzia venezuelensis sp. n. is characterized by spicules w ith three principal branches: blade, shoe and fork, and by a division of the fork within the distal third of the spicule length. O. vaucheri Ben Slimane et Durette-Desset, 1993 is the most closely related speci es due to its caudal bursa of type Il and its cervical alae of the sam e shape but it differs in the following characters: the position of th e papillae of rays 4 situated nearer the papillae of rays 3 rather tha n rays 5, a higher percentage of the ridges in the oesophageal region, the cervical alae three times longer and sharp and the spicular fork divided less deeply.