gen. et sp. n. (Filarioidea : Onchocercidae) from Venezuelan armadillos (

A new filaria, Strianema venezuelensis gen. et sp. n., is described from armadillos in Venezuela. The adults inhabit the subcutaneous tissues and the microfilariae are found in the skin and occasionnaly the blood. The adults, which are of small size (males 9.6 to 13.8 mm in length by 57 to 63 µm in diameter, females 18.3 to 26.3 mm in length by 95 to 120 µm in diameter), have a distinctly striated cuticle. This filaria resembles most closely the genus Cercopithifilaria, from which it can be distinguished by the absence of a buccal capsule or pre-esophageal ring, and 11 to 13 pair of caudal papillae, three or four pair of which are separated as a group anterior to the cloaca. The species, S. venezuelensis, can be distinguished from the three other species of filariae described from armadillos by the undivided esophagus, number and distribution of caudal papillae in the male, size and shape of the spicules, and the distinctive microfilaria. The microfilaria, which averages 280 µm in length, has a unique, slender, almost filamentous tail

sp.n. and

Mansonella (E.) longicapita sp. n. and Mansonella (E.) rotundicapita sp. n., two filarial nematodes from the dermis of Venezuelan capybaras, are described. The two species can be distinguished on the size of the spicules (M. longicapita 327 and 139 µm, ratio of 2.3 : 1 ; M. rotundicapita 405 and 120 µm, ratio of 3.4 : 1), the degree of lateral elongation of the cephalic shield and in the size and configuration of the microfilaria. The microfilaria of M. rotundicapita is large (280 µm long), and in specimens fixed in 2% formalin, the posterior end of the body is bent in a shepherd’s crook, while the microfilaria of M. longicapita is short (195 µm long) and when similarly fixed, assumes a gently curved attitude. Within the subgenus M. (Esslingeria), the species M. longicapita and M. rotundicapita are intermediate in size. Morphologically they resemble M. streptocerca and M. rodhaini most closely, but can be distinguished on size, spicule morphology, and micro filarial morphology