NEW WORMS 
219 
Discussion 
The specimens here described conform very closely to the description of S. javensis by 
Vevers. The total length of the oesophagus in his specimens, however, seems to be much 
larger. This may represent a marked variation of the length of the oesophagus in this species 
or it may be possible that the vagina was confused with the oesophagus. 
References 
Thwaite, J. S. (1927). The Genus Setaria. Ann. trop. Med. Parasite 21, 427-466. 
Vevers, G. M. (1922). On the parasitic nematodes collected from mammalian hosts which died in the 
Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, during the years 19 19- 1921, with a description of three 
new genera and three new species. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond ., 61, 90 1-9 19. 
Gnathostoma doloresi Tubangui, 1925, from a pig 
A male and a female of this species were collected by Dr. Wutherington, the Veterinary 
Officer, from a pig in Singapore. The pig is said to have been Malayan bred and the specimens 
were obtained from the liver, which is a very unusual location for members of this genus. 
Tubangui (1925) described the female in the pig in the Philippine Islands and Maplestone 
(1930) described the male from India where he found the species eleven times in the stomachs 
of forty-nine pigs. Maplestone considers that these worms cause extensive damage to the 
stomach wall in which they burrow deeply. Maplestone found two distinct sizes of worms in 
different pigs, the small and large forms never being found together in the same host. 
Tubangui’s measurements for the females, however, came exactly in the gap left between the 
small and large worms of Mapleston’s series. 
Description (Fig. 8) 
In the Malayan specimens the male is intermediate in size between Maplestone’s two forms, and 
the female, which is not fully mature, is inclined to resemble the smaller variety. Certain other features 
which are at variance with the descriptions available are noted but, in view of the remarkable degree of 
variations noted in G. doloresi , the Malayan form is not considered a separate species. 
The left spicule in the Malayan form measures 2.68mm in length as compared with Maplestone’s 
1.85 to 2.08mm. The proximal half of the left spicule is provided with a membranous expansion which 
is broadest at about one quarter of the distance from the base. Of the four pairs of large caudal papillae 
two, and not one as described by Maplestone, are pre-anal in position. The head bulb is armed with 
ten rows of backwardly curving hooks but the most anterior row is incomplete in both the specimens. 
The body spines are as described by Maplestone but not Tubangui, and no spines with more than 
six points were seen. As the bases of cuticular spines are considered important it is recorded that the 
bases of the head bulb are not highly chitinised and are oval in shape, while those on the body tend to 
be more distinct and circular. 
For purposes of comparison, the dimensions for Philippine and Indian forms are given below 
together with those for the Malayan specimens. 
MEASUREMENTS OF SPECIMENS OF GNATHOSTOMA DOLORESI FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. 
India. 
Philippines. 
Large worms. 
Small worms. 
r 
t 
Female. 
Male. 
Female. 
Male. 
Female. 
Male. 
Female. 
Length ... 
30-31 
35-38 
43-52 
20-21 
27-31 
24-5 
27 
Maximum width 
— 
1.4-1.66 
2. 6-2. 8 
0.9-1. 2 
1.3-1.5 ••• 
i -3 
1.6 
Diam. in inflation 
... 3 - 14 - 3-37 ... 
1. 7-2. 6 
2. 7 - 4-9 
1.1-1.76 
1.46-2.02 ... 
1.8 
3-26 
Head bulb length 
0.4-0.46 ... 
— 
— 
0.317 
0.356-0.396 ... 
0.4 
0.52 
Head bulb diameter 
... 0.75-0.85 ... 
0.693 
0.891-1.01 
0.634 
0.772-0.832 ... 
0.72 
0.85 
Nerve ring 
0.75 
— 
1.38 
0.832 
1.04 ... 
1.0 
1-3 
Oesophagus 
Vulva to tip of tail 
6-7 ... 
Behind 
— 
— 
3-9 
5.7 ... 
3.6 
5-2 
middle 
— 
16-19 
— 
10. 4-10. 9 ... 
— 
10.2 
Spicule, left 
— 
1.85-2.07 
— 
1.85-2.08 
— 
2.68 
— 
Spicule, right 
— 
0.64-0.66 
— 
0.6-0. 7 
— 
0.645 
— 
Eggs 
... 0.06-0.063 
x 0.037. ... 
— 
0.064-0.067 
x 0.031-0.034. 
— 
0.052-0.06 ... 
x 0.033-0.031 
MALAYA , No. 26, 1953 
