A Consideration of Infraspecific Categories in the Genus Echinococcus Rudolphi, 1801 (Cestoda: Taeniidae)

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Abstract
Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786) and E. multilocularis Leuckart, 1863, have been considered polytypic species, nine and three subspecies, respectively, having been recognized mainly on typological grounds. However, limits of taxonomically significant morphological and physiological variation have not been defined, nor do we know the degree to which such variation is influenced by species of host. With the probable exception of E. g. canadensis Cameron, 1960, the recognized subspecies of E. granulosus occur sympatrically with the nominate subspecies, E. g. granulosus, of European origin. Because there are no well-defined predator-prey relationships which would ensure their ecological isolation, seven of these subspecies are not repro-ductively segregated and therefore must be considered taxonomically invalid. Two subspecies of E. multilocularis are allopatric, but may represent two extremes of a cline; the status of the third is uncertain. Different populations (variants or physiological strains) of Echinococcus spp. might be more appropriately designated informally as strains or forms.

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