On the status of the genus & species of Lytocestoides Baylis, 19281 (Cestoda : Caryophyllidea) – a review

Umapati Sahay^a*, Anita Jha^b, A.P.V.Khalkho^c & Fauzia Sadaf^b
*^aDept. of Zoology, Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
^bGardanibagh Womens College, Patna, Bihar, India
^cWomens Collge, Chaibasa

Received 30th September, 2012; Revised 25th November., 2012

Abstract : Lytocestoides tanganyika Baylis (1928)¹ harbour Alestes sp. (Africa) in Ethiopian region, nearly 10 species of Lytocestoides are reported only from Maharastra, India. Hafeezullah, (1993)² has transferred four species of Lytocestoides (Lytocestidae) to the genus Breviscolex (Capingentidae) which is unwarranted. Also Jadhav & Bhure (2006)³ and Jadhav, Bhure and Pathan (2007)⁴ have proposed a key to the species of Lytocestoides which is based on either number of testes, head shape, orientation of the cirrus sac & granular or follicular vitellaria. The authors have gone into the details of Lytocestoides species & have reasons to place the species under Lytocestidae & have reasons to suggest the modification of the key.
Keywords: Lytocestoides, Breviscolex.

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