A MORPHOLOGICAL AND ELECTROPHORETIC STUDY OF RUGOPHARYNX-ZETA (JOHNSTON AND MAWSON, 1939) (NEMATODA, STRONGYLOIDEA), WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES, R-MAWSONAE, FROM THE BLACK-STRIPED WALLABY MACROPUS-DORSALIS (MARSUPIALIA, MACROPODIDAE)

Rugopharynx zeta (Johnston & Mawson) (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) is rede scribed from the rock wallabies Petrogale penicillata penicillata, P. p. herberti, P. inornata and P. assimilis from Queensland and New Sout h Wales, Australia. Specimens formerly assigned to this nematode taxon from the wallabies Macropus dorsalis and M. parma are treated as a ne w species, R. mawsonae. R. mawsonae n. sp. differs from R. zeta in the shape of the dorsal ray, length of spicules, morphology of spicule ti p, length of female tail and position of deirid. The morphological dif ferences are supported by electrophoretic data. R. zeta and R. mawsona e n. sp. had fixed genetic differences at 45.0% of the 21 enzyme loci examined, while each differed at 38.1% and 45.0% of loci respectively from the morphologically distinct R. delta (Johnston & Mawson). The kn own host and geographical distributions of R. zeta and R. mawsonae n. sp. are reviewed.