VPA 211: General Veterinary Parasitology and Helminthology (3+1)

MORPHOLOGY OF PHYSALOPTERA PRAEPUTIALIS

Family	Physalopteridae Gnathosomatidae,Physlopteridae
Genus	Physaloptera
Species	P.praeputialis
Host	Cat, dog, and wild felidae
Location	Stomach
I/H	Flour beetles, cockroach and field cricket

Morphology

• Pharynx is absent and cuticle forms collar like projection at the anterior extremity.
• In both sexes the cuticle posteriorly extend to form a sheath or prepuce like structure, which projects beyond the caudal end of worm.
• In fertilized female, the vulva is covered by ring of brown cement material.
• Eggs are oval, containing fully developed larvae. In male, the tail end has large lateral alae and spicules are unequal.
• Left is longer than right.