A new ascaridid nematode, Mammalakis zambiensis n. sp. (Heterakoidea: Kiwinematidae), from the mole rat Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Machola ´n & Kawalika) (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) in Zambia Kerstin Junker . Heike Lutermann . Yasen Mutafchiev Received: 7 December 2016 / Accepted: 5 April 2017 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017 Abstract Mammalakis zambiensis n. sp. is described from the large intestine and caecum of Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Machola ´n & Kawalika), a bathyergid rodent endemic to Zambia. Morpholog- ical data for comparison with its three congeners, M. macrospiculum (Ortlepp, 1939), M. spalacis (Marcu, 1930) and M. spalaxi (Kozlov & Jangolenko, 1962) are provided. Based on studies of the type-material, observations of hitherto undescribed morphological characters of M. macrospiculum, a parasite of Bathy- ergus suillus (Schreber) (Hystricomorpha: Bathyergi- dae) in South Africa, are presented. To date, the generic diagnosis of Mammalakis Inglis, 1991 is based largely on characters of its type-species, M. macrospiculum. In having three rounded lips, not set-off from the body, a stout oesophagus with a flask- shaped posterior bulb, lateral alae that broaden on the level of the precloacal sucker and cloaca, and mature eggs with a smooth shell, M. zambienis n. sp. corresponds to the characters of the genus. However, the presence of lips with anterior flanges that were observed in M. zambiensis n. sp., and also for the first time in M. macrospiculum, are in contrast with the current diagnosis of Mammalakis. Further studies will be needed to determine if an amendment of the generic diagnosis is indicated. Introduction The Zambian mole rat Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Machola ´n & Kawalika) (Rodentia: Hystrico- morpha: Bathyergidae) is endemic to Zambia where it inhabits savanna bushland and lives in subterranean colonies of up to 16 individuals (Cotterill & Maree, 2008; Sichilima et al., 2011). Because of its limited geographical distribution and being hunted as an agricultural and horticultural pest, numbers of F. anselli continue to decline, and the species is listed as This article was registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) as 14F23706-94BC-4651-A431- 25624551DAD4. This article was published as an Online First article on the online publication date shown on this page. The article should be cited by using the doi number. This is the Version of Record. This article is part of the Topical Collection Nematoda. K. Junker (&) Parasites, Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa e-mail: junkerk@arc.agric.za H. Lutermann Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa Y. Mutafchiev Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria 123 Syst Parasitol DOI 10.1007/s11230-017-9721-9