Introduction: There is still lack of morphological and phylogenetic information on the pathogenic nematode of the camel Haemonchus longistipes. In the present study, this parasite was isolated in Saudi Arabia and described. Material and Methods: The abomasa of two Arabian camels were collected from a slaughterhouse in Abha province and examined for nematode infection. Worms were described morphologically and morphometrically by electron microscopy. Multiple sequence alignment and the phylogenetic tree of the parasite were constructed from maximum likelihood analysis of its ITS-2 rDNA sequences. Results: These nematodes had a slender body terminating anteriorly at a conspicuous dorsal lancet. A pair of lateral cervical papillae distant from the anterior end was observed. The buccal aperture was hexagonal and surrounded by two amphids, six externo-labial papillae, and four cephalic papillae. Males terminated posteriorly at a bursa supported by spicules and lateral and dorsal rays. Females were linguiform and knobbed morphotypes with distinct ovijectors and a dorsal rim covering the anal pore. The taxonomy was confirmed by the morphology and number of the longitudinal cuticular ridges in a 43–46 range. The sequence alignment and phylogeny revealed 92% homology with H. longistipes (AJ577461.1), and the sequence was deposited into GenBank. Conclusion: The present study describes H. longistipes morphologically and molecularly which facilitates further discrimination of this species worldwide.

Introduction: There is still lack of morphological and phylogenetic information on the pathogenic nematode of the camel Haemonchus longistipes. In the present study, this parasite was isolated in Saudi Arabia and described.

Culicoides truuskae Labuschagne and Meiswinkel sp. n. is described and illustrated in both sexes from material collected in South Africa and Namibia. It is restricted to the xeric western margin of the subcontinent, occurring in Fynbos, Nama-Karoo and Succulent Karoo ecoregions in South Africa and Desert and Savanna ecoregions in Namibia experiencing < 600 mm of rainfall annually. Culicoides truuskae sp. n. is part of the Afrotropical 'plain-wing' Culicoides in which the wing lacks a distinguishing pattern of light and dark spots; the diagnostic dark smudge that traverses wing cell r3 may result in C. truuskae sp. n. being misidentified as the sympatric but phyletically unrelated Culicoides herero (Enderlein) - (of the Similis group, subgenus Oecacta Poey). Additionally, this study is the first description of the male of C. herero. C. truuskae sp. n. and Culicoides coarctatus Clastrier and Wirth share similar characters in the male genitalia, although the two species are separable on wing pattern and female flagellum sensilla coeloconica (SCo) distribution. The breeding habitat and adult female blood-feeding preferences of C. truuskae sp. n. are not known. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree, using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence data, is provided to further clarify the relationship between C. truuskae sp. n., C. coarctatus and C. herero. Extensive light trap data, collected over 30 years, are used to map the distribution ranges of C. truuskae sp. n., C. coarctatus and C. herero in Southern Africa. CONTRIBUTION: The description of this new species and the description of the male of C. herero increases our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Culicoides species in southern Africa.

Culicoides truuskae Labuschagne and Meiswinkel sp. n. is described and illustrated in both sexes from material collected in South Africa and Namibia. It is restricted to the xeric western margin of the subcontinent, occurring in Fynbos, Nama-Karoo and Succulent Karoo ecoregions in South Africa and Desert and Savanna ecoregions in Namibia experiencing 600 mm of rainfall annually. Culicoides truuskae sp. n. is part of the Afrotropical ‘plain-wing’ Culicoides in which the wing lacks a distinguishing pattern of light and dark spots; the diagnostic dark smudge that traverses wing cell r3 may result in C. truuskae sp. n. being misidentified as the sympatric but phyletically unrelated Culicoides herero (Enderlein) – (of the Similis group, subgenus Oecacta Poey). Additionally, this study is the first description of the male of C. herero. C. truuskae sp. n. and Culicoides coarctatus Clastrier and Wirth share similar characters in the male genitalia, although the two species are separable on wing pattern and female flagellum sensilla coeloconica (SCo) distribution. The breeding habitat and adult female blood-feeding preferences of C. truuskae sp. n. are not known. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree, using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequence data, is provided to further clarify the relationship between C. truuskae sp. n., C. coarctatus and C. herero. Extensive light trap data, collected over 30 years, are used to map the distribution ranges of C. truuskae sp. n., C. coarctatus and C. herero in Southern Africa. Contribution: The description of this new species and the description of the male of C. herero increases our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Culicoides species in southern Africa.