Palaearctic species of the genus Confluaria Ablasov (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae): a redescription and synonymy of C-capillaris (Rudolphi, 1810)

The types of Confluaria capillaris (Rudolphi, 1810) from Podiceps auritus i n (?) Germany and the types of C. capillaroides (Fuhrmann, 1906) from Podic eps dominicus in Brazil are redescribed. C. capillaroides is recognised as a junior synonym of C. capillaris (new synonymy). Data on specimens of the same species from P. cristatus and P. grisegena in Bulgaria are also presen ted. The previous records of the two nominal species are critically analyse d in view of the present redescriptions. The host range of C. capillaris in cludes only grebes of the genus Podiceps, i.e. P. auritus, P. cristatus, P. grisegena, P. dominicus and P. nigricollis; the records in other hosts (Ga viiformes, Charadriiformes and Passeriformes) are considered erroneous or d oubtful. The geographical range includes Europe, Central Asia and northern South America.