Australophiotaenia, Chambrier & Beveridge & Scholz, 2018

Chambrier, Alain De, Beveridge, Ian & Scholz, Tomáš, 2018, Tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of Australian reptiles: hidden diversity of strictly host-specific parasites, Zootaxa 4461 (4), pp. 477-498 : 494-495

Australophiotaenia sp. 9

Host. Carpet or diamond python, Morelia spilota (Lacépède, 1801) ( Ophidia : Pythonidae ).

Distribution. Australia (Victoria).

Material studied. Two fragmented specimens with two scoleces from M. spilota , from Australia (no locality) 2.12.1964 (SAM 5735), one fragmented specimen without scolex from M. spilota from Melbourne Zoo, 31.5.1971 (SAM 9049).

Remarks. Tapeworms from Morelia spilota are characterised by the presence of a large apical organ (190 µm

wide, representing 18% of the sucker width) within the pyramidal apex of the scolex (scolex 1040 wide and 850 long), strongly sinuous osmoregulatory canals, postequatorial genital pore (62–70% of the length of the proglottid), the vagina always anterior to the cirrus-sac, and eggs in clusters.