Description

Description This material is very similar to C. adelaidae described above, in most of its morpho-anatomical characters. A clear difference lies however in the shape and size of copulatory organs. While the cirrussac of C. adelaidae is short and globular, it is much more elongated and cylindrical here, always clearly crossing the excretory canals and 70 % longer, reaching 155 – 193 × 30 – 40 (176 × 36, n = 20). Another discriminating character is the presence of a massive terminal vaginal sphincter, which is absent in C. adelaidae. Hooks are 23 – 25 (24, n = 9) and 22 – 24 (22.5, n = 9) long (Fig. 41). The material is however macerated and difficult to interpret, and it is not possible to associate rostellar hook counts and other measurements to specimens for which anatomy is available. The few available specimens from AHC 36526 include some long ones (up to 39.2 mm), including one with a complete scolex (scolex diameter 525, suckers diameter 200 – 220, about 88 hooks). A vaginal sphincter is present and cirrus-sacs are of a similar shape as C. fieldingi but larger (235 – 300 × 38 – 65). Globally, this material corresponds to the description of C. fieldingi from Cracticus destructor [= C. torquatus] as described by Maplestone & Southwell (1923) and observed by ourselves (see above). It should, however, be noted that C. fieldingi has not only been described in a different host, but also from a locality in Queensland which is some 1500 km north of the New South Wales stations considered here. The available specimens do not allow for a detailed study, but the variability observed in our different samples suggest a possible diversification of Cracticotaenia in the Artamidae.

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Platyhelminthes

Class: Cestoda

Order: Cyclophyllidea

Family: Metadilepididae

Genus: Cracticotaenia

Species: Cracticotaenia fieldingi (Maplestone & Southwell, 1923) Hooks.Scale