Redescription of Physaloptera praeputialis von Linstow, 1889 (Nematoda: Spirurida) infecting stray cats (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758) in Qena, Egypt and overview of the genus taxonomy.

Members of the family Physalopteridae are small or large worms parasitic in various regions of the alimentary tract of amphibians (3 species), reptiles (45 species), birds (24 species), mammals (more than 90 species) and humans (more than 82 reported cases). This study estimated the prevalence of Physalopteridae in stray cats in Qena and identify the encountered species and to overview the taxonomic features of different species of the family from which more than 200 species were recovered besides the unnamed species. The gastrointestinal tracts of 39 necropsied stray cats were examined for Physaloptera spp. The encountered species was mounted and prepared to be studied by ordinary and scanning electron microscopy. Ph. praeputialis adults and larvae were recovered from the pyloric region of the stomach of 28 (71.2%) of 39 necropsied stray cats (Felis catus). Species was redescribed by light and scanning electron microscopy, compared with the other related species of the same genus and larval stages are described for the first time. SEM examination of the parasite revealed that oral aperture is surrounded by 2 massive rounded lateral pseudolabia; pseudolabium roughly rectangular in apical view bearing 2 large sub- median (dorsolateral and ventrolateral) cephalic papillae.