REVISION DE LAS ESPECIES QUE ACTUALMENTE FORMAN EL GENERO HERONIMUS MacCallum, 1902 (Trematoda: Heronimidae Ward, 1917.

Resumen

In the lungs of 16 fresh-water turtles Kinosternon hirtipes were found eight specimens of Heronimus chelydrae MacCallum, 1902; the majority of them came from females, but some were found in the lungs of males. The study of the male parasites revealed a complete degeneration of the testicles in five of them, in one they were in regression, and in two they were fully mature. The sexual pores opened nearly always at the middle of the pharynx and never like in the genus Cephalogonimus as MacCallum states in his descriptions.
From a careful comparison of my specimens with those of Heronimus geomydae and Heronimus maternum from the Helminthological Collection of the United States National Museum, kindly sent to me for cornparison by Dr. E. W. Price, I have come to the conclusion that both are identical to the type species H. chelydrae and that MacCallum's distinctive characters are the same that have suffered regressive changes. These changes are fundamentally observed: in the total size of the parasite which changes with age and with the state and oesophagus, which often change in size and position. Besides, as Stunkard has alreadry indicated, the large area of distribution of this parasite and the great variety of turtles in which it may live, certain bv bear upon its changing characters.