Palaearctic species of the genus Confluaria Ablasov (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae): redescriptions of C-multistriata (Rudolphi, 1810) and C-japonica (Yamaguti, 1935), and a description of Confluaria sp.

Confluaria multistriata (Rudolphi, 1810) is redescribed on the basis of spe cimens from Tachybaptus ruficollis from the material of Rudolphi and Dollfu s and new specimens from the same host species from Bulgaria. The types of C. japonica (Yamaguti, 1935) from T. ruficollis are also redescribed and fi gured. A single specimen from the collection of Krabbe, described as Taenia multistriata, is re-examined and recognised as belonging to a different sp ecies of Confluaria, the status of which remains to be established. Criteri a for distinguishing the three species are proposed. In view of the present results, some of the previous records of C. multistriata and C. japonica a re re-evaluated. The synonymy of the genera Colymbilepis Spasskaya, 1966 an d Confluaria Ablasov in Spasskaya, 1966 is confirmed.