title: Taxonomy of Leucochloridium sp. (Digenea) infecting Succinea pfeifferi Rossmässler, 1835.
abstract: The anatomical and morphological variability of sporocysts and metacercariae of Leucochloridium sp. recovered from natural infected Succinea pfeifferi Rossmässler collected in the Agdenes area. Norway (63 degrees 35'N, 9 degrees 45'E), was studied by light microscopy. The results are compared with five species from the Nearctic and Palearctic with known adult stage (L. variae McIntosh, 1932; L. fuscostriatum Robinson, 1947; L. perturbatum Pojmanska, 1969; L. subtilis Pojmanska, 1969; L. fuscum Rietschel, 1970) and nine species with unknown adult stage. In the larval stages no morphological taxonomical characters were found to separate Leucochloridium sp. as a species distinct from the five (and nine) species. The variability and validity of the characters used is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007814:Larva; D009664:Norway; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology