Redescriptions of the species of Physaloptera Rudolphi, 1819 (Nematoda : Spirurida) parasitic in bandicoots (Marsupialia : Perameloidea) in Australia

The species of Physaloptera Rudolphi, 1819 (Nematoda: Spirurida) occurring in bandicoots (families Peramelidae and Thalacomyidae) in Australia were re -examined and re-described. Physaloptera peramelis Johnston & Mawson, 1939 was found in Perameles nasuta Geoffroy and occasionally in Isoodon macrouru s (Gould) in eastern Australia. Ph. peragale Johnston & Mawson, 1940 from M acrotis leucura (Thomas) from the Northern Territory is treated as a junior synonym of Ph. peramelis. Ph. thalacomys Johnston & Mawson, 1940, original ly described from Macrotis leucura from the Northern Territory was also fou nd to occur in Perameles gunnii Gray in Victoria. Specimens here identified simply as Physaloptera sp. were found in both Perameles nasuta and Isoodon macrourus from north-eastern New South Wales. They may be Ph. parvicollari s Johnston & Mawson, 1940 or Ph. sarcophili Johnston & Mawson, 1940, but cu rrent deficiencies in the descriptions of these two named species preclude an unequivocal identification of the specimens found in bandicoots.