A SURVEY OF THE HELMINTHS OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS IN SOUTHWESTERN CHINA

A survey of the helminths of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) in south-western China, particularly at the cities of Kunming, Kweiyang, Chungking and Chentu, was conducted during March-May, 1957. In the material, 9 species of trema-todes, 5 of cestodes, 44 of nematodes and 1 species of Acanthocephala, as listed in Table I, were found present; they belong to 4 classes, 20 families and 33 genera. Among the 59 species, 1 of the nematode is described as new to science, 1 species or trematode and 4 of nematodes are recorded for the first time from China. In addition, 1 of the trematode and 2 of the nematodes are found in 2 new hosts.Skrjabinagia dactylospicula, sp. nov.Body filiform, yellowish when living. Cuticle with longitudinal ridges and without fine transverse striations. Oesophagus 0.676-0.745 mm long and 0.035-0.055 mm in greatest diameter. Anterior end to nerve ring 0.214-0.242 mm, to excretory pore 0.221 mm and to small cervical papillae 0.276 mm.Male: Body 5.800 mm long and 0.136mm in greatest diameter. Bursa with 2 lateral and 1 small dorsal lobes. Ventral ray, lateral larger than ventro, originated in the main stalk and branched at the base. The three branches of lateral ray equally stout. External dorsal separated from the main stalk at the base. Dorsal ray, 0.08 mm in length, bifurcated after leaving about 0.02 mm from its origin into 2 arch-shaped branches, both 0.06mm long and subdivided into 2 branches at the terminal. Spicules 2, strongly chi-tinized, yellowish-brown, equal in length and similar in shape, and measuring 0.177 mm in length and 0.017 mm in width at the proximal end. At the distal 1/3, they are tri-furcated into main, dorsal and ventral branches. In the distal end of the main branch, there is a strongly chitinized, finger-like process, measuring 0.027 mm in length. The dorsal branch rod-shaped, 0.037 mm in length, terminated with a spatula-like process. The ventral branch 0.051 mm in length, plate-formed, slightly chitinized and with the distal margin turned upwards. No gubernaculum, but with prebursal papillae. Female: Body 7.59-8.60 mm in length and 0.110-0.123 mm in greatest diameter. Vulva protruded, covered on its anterior margin with a cuticular ligula-like process. Combined length of ovijectors, including sphincters, 0.345 mm. Posterior end to vulva 0.897-1.104mm and to anus 0.120-0.148 mm. Tail long and pointed, slightly curved to the ventral side. Ova in uterus 0.069-0.082 mm long and 0.034-0.041 mm in diameter.Remarks: According to the shape of the spicules and the proportional lengths of the main stalk and the branches of the dorsal ray of the bursa, the new species differs from the other 7 known species: Skrjabinagia popovi Altaev, S. bisonis Kassimov, S. bulschnevi Altaev, 5. cervi Altaev, S. dagestanica Altaev, 5. houdemeri Altaev, S. odo-coilei Kassimov, S. tundra Altaev, but resembles S. houdemeri closely except in the shape of the spicules. The spicules of the new species trifurcate each into 3 branches: the main branch provided with a finger-like process; the dorsal branch rod-shaped, terminated with a spatula-like process and the ventral branch plate-formed, with the distal margin turned upwards, while the spicules of S. houdemeri are much simpler in structure and inconspicuously branched.The two species also differ in the lengths of ovijcctor and tail with measurements given below:Ovijector TailS. dactylospicula 0.345 mm 0.120-0.138 mmS. houdemeri 0.176 mm 0.185 mmThe genus Skrjabinagia is for the first time recorded from China, and the cattle is found to be a new host of this genus.Host: Cattle (Bos taunts L.).Location: Abomasum.Locality: Kweiyang, Kweichow Province, China.Type specimens: Holotype , allotype , paratypes 2 , all deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Peking, China.