Taxonomy of Leucochloridium sp. (Digenea) infecting Succinea pfeifferi Rossmässler, 1835

The anatomical and morphological variability of sporocysts and metacercariae of Leucochloridium sp. recovered from natural infected Succinea pfeifferi Rossmässler collected in the Agdenes area, Norway (63°35′N, 9°45′E), was studied by light microscopy. The results are compared with five species from the Nearctic and Palearctic with known adult stage (L. variae McIntosh, 1932; L. fuscostriatum Robinson, 1947; L. perturbatum Pojmanska, 1969; L. subtilis Pojmanska, 1969; L. fuscum Rietschel, 1970) and nine species with unknown adult stage. In the larval stages no morphological taxonomical characters were found to separate Leucochloridium sp. as a species distinct from the five (and nine) species. The variability and validity of the characters used is discussed.