Body of medium size. Scolex with 4 suckers, rostellar apparatus absent. Genital pores ventral, median. Single set of male and female reproductive organs per proglottid. Testes usually numerous, in 2 lateral groups extending throughout proglottid length. Ovary and vitellarium bilobed (or vitellarium transversely elongated), situated at posterior margin of proglottid. Uterus ventral, developing as sinuous median longitudinal tube. Eggs passing into paruterine organ or into a sac-like uterus in forms lacking paruterine organ.
Two genera and about 30 species.
Most recent publications suggest that the Mesocestoididae should be recognized as a distinct order, separate from the Cyclophyllidea.
Carnivorous mammals and birds of prey.
Small intestine.
Cosmopolitan.
No complete life-cycle known. Arthropods are thought to serve as first intermediate hosts. Metacestodes (tetrathyridia) have been reported from various tetrapods believed to be second intermediate and paratenic hosts. Metacestodes are capable of asexual multiplication in vertebrate hosts.
Selected References:
Witenberg, G. 1934. Studies on the cestode genus Mesocestoides . Archivio Zoologico Italiano 20: 467-509.
Chertkova, A .N. and G. A. Kosupko. 1978. [The suborder Mesocestoidata Skryabin, 1940.] In Ryzhikov K.N. (Ed.) Osnovy cestodologii, Vol. 9, Moscow, Nauka, pp. 118-229. [in Russian.]
Rausch, R .L. 1994. Family Mesocestoididae Fuhrmann, 1907. pp. 309-314. In Khalil, L. F., Jones, A., Bray, R. A. (Eds.) Keys to the cestode parasites of vertebrates. CAB International, Wallingford, U.K.
Taxon Coordinator:
Dr. Boyko B. Georgiev
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
2 Gagarin Street
1113 Sofia
Bulgaria
E-MAIL: boyko_georgiev@yahoo.com
