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 : 490

Australophiotaenia sp. 1

Host. Spotted python, Antaresia maculosa (Peters, 1873) ( Ophidia : Pythonidae ).

Distribution. Australia (New South Wales, Queensland).

Material studied. One specimen from A. maculosa (host field No. AUS 003) in Wulguru , Queensland (19°19'31''S 146°48'41''E), 15.04.2000, Coll. Ian Beveridge (MHNG-PLAT-36548).

Remarks. The specimen studied belongs to a new species as evidenced by its sequences of ssr DNA, lsr DNA, rrn L and cox 1 ( KC786013 , KC786024 , KC786001 and KC785988 , respectively—Scholz et al., 2013). However, only fragmentary material unsuitable for morphological study is available. This morphotype is characterised by a scolex 1.39 mm wide with four uniloculate shallow suckers, 200–217 testes, the length of the cirrus-sac representing 28–35% of the width of the proglottid, post-equatorial position of the genital pore, 33–34 uterine diverticula on each side, and the absence of egg clusters (see Table 2).