LIFE CYCLE AND IDENTIFICATION OF AN EYEFLUKE FROM ISRAEL TRANSMITTED BY MELANOIDES TUBERCULATA (MÜLLER, 1774)

A philophthalmid species from Israel using the freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata as intermediate host was studied. The biological and morphological characteristics of all developmental stages of the life cycle of this philophthalmid were described, and compared to those of Philophthalmus lucipetus Rudolphi, 1819 from Israel, Philophthalmus gralli Mathis and Leger, 1910 from Jordan, Philophthalmus palpebrarum Looss, 1899, Philophthalmus nocturnus Looss, 1907, Cercaria distomatosa Looss 1896 from Egypt, and Philophthalmus lucknowensis Baugh, 1962 from India. The possible identity with 1 of these species is discussed. On the basis of comparative analysis of the data for all parasite stages in the life cycle, geographical distribution, snail hosts, and snail host specificity, we propose to designate the Israeli Melanoides tuberculata-transmitted eye fluke to Philophthalmus distomatosa n. comb. (Looss, 1896), (Digenea: Philophthalmidae).