Studies on the Life Histories of Maritrema obstipum (Van Cleave and Mueller, 1932) and Levinseniella amnicolae n. sp. (Trematoda: Microphallidae)

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Abstract
Larval and adult stages of both spp. are descr. from natural and exptl. infections. The cercariae of both spp. emerge from the snail, Amnicola pilsbryi, penetrate and encyst in the aquatic isopod, Asellus communis, and experimentally reach sexual maturity in various birds and mammals. The adult of M. obstipum is usually found in the small intestine, and Levinseniella amnicolae localizes chiefly in the cecum. The action of Cable and Kuns (1951) in suppressing the family Maritrematidae Baer 1943 is supported by additional exptl. evidence. The genus Pseudospelotrema Yamaguti, 1939 is suppressed as a synonym of Maritrema Nicoll, 1909, and the spp.Pseudospelotrema japonicum, P. uriae, and P. cincli are transferred to Maritrema. The genus Maritreminoides Rankin, 1939 is restored to contain Pseudospelotrema nettae and P. ammospizae, Pseudospelotrema obstipum and P. medium are returned to the genus Maritrema, M. obstipum is differentiated from M. medium on both morphological and bionomic grounds. The cercaria of M. obstipum is shown to differ from the Ubiquita type descr. for other members of the family Microphallidae, and is regarded as similar to the cercariae of M. rhodanicum, descr. by Carrere (1936), and M. caridinae, descr. by Shibue (1951). The genus Gynaecotyla, Yamaguti, 1939 (Syn. Cornucopula Rankin, 1939) is suppressed as a synonym of Microphalloides Yoshida, 1938. Gynaecotyla adunca, G. jagerskioldi, G. similimus, G. squatoralae, and G. nassicola are transferred to Microphalloides.
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