''Prosthenorchis'' is a genus of

parasitic worms Parasitic worms, also known as helminths, are a polyphyletic group of large macroparasites; adults can generally be seen with the naked eye. Many are intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract. Other par ...

belonging to the family

Oligacanthorhynchidae Oligacanthorhynchida is an order containing a single parasitic worm family, Oligacanthorhynchidae,Encyclopedia of Life www.eol.org that attach themselves to the intestinal wall of terrestrial vertebrates. Taxonomy and description Genera ''Oli ...

. ''Prosthenorchis'' have a trunk up to 50 mm long, a proboscis that is not ornate with three barbed hooks in each of 12 rows. They have complex hook roots with large manubria, and a small discoid posterior hook base. There are up to 23 festoons. Gonopore is subterminal. The primary host are primates in South America and Felidae in Africa with cockroaches and

beetles Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

as intermediate hosts.

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic analysis had been performed on ''P.elegans''.

Description

''Prosthenorchis'' consists of a proboscis covered in hooks and a trunk.

Species

THere are five species in the genus ''Prosthenorchis''. *''Prosthenorchis cerdocyonis'' Gomes, Ana Paula & Olifiers, Natalie & Souza, Joyce & Barbosa, Helene & D'Andrea, Paulo & Maldonado, Arnaldo. (2014). A New Acanthocephalan Species (Archiacanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) from the Crab-Eating Fox ( Cerdocyon thous ) in the Brazilian Pantanal Wetlands. The Journal of parasitology. 101. 10.1645/13-321.1. The species is named after the genus of the host, the

Crab-Eating Fox The crab-eating fox (''Cerdocyon thous''), also known as the forest dog, wood fox, bushfox (not to be confused with the bush dog) or maikong, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America since at least ...

(''Cerdocyon thous''). *''Prosthenorchis elegans'' *''Prosthenorchis fraterna'' *''Prosthenorchis lemuri'' *''Prosthenorchis sinicus''

Distribution

The species of this genus are found in America.

Hosts

The life cycle of an acanthocephalan consists of three stages beginning when an infective acanthor (development of an egg) is released from the intestines of the

definitive host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

and then ingested by an arthropod, the

intermediate host In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include ...

. The intermediate hosts of most ''Pachysentis'' species are not known. When the acanthor

molt In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is a process by which an animal casts off parts of its body to serve some beneficial purpose, either at ...

s, the second stage called the acanthella begins. This stage involves penetrating the wall of the

mesenteron The midgut is the portion of the human embryo from which almost all of the small intestine and approximately half of the large intestine develop. After it bends around the superior mesenteric artery, it is called the "midgut loop". It comprises t ...

or the intestine of the intermediate host and growing. The final stage is the infective cystacanth which is the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

l or juvenile state of an Acanthocephalan, differing from the adult only in size and stage of sexual development. The cystacanths within the intermediate hosts are consumed by the definitive host, usually attaching to the walls of the intestines, and as adults they reproduce sexually in the intestines. The acanthor are passed in the

feces Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...

of the definitive host and the cycle repeats. File:Crab-eating Fox (cropped).JPG, alt=Crab-eating fox in the forest, The

tayra The tayra (''Eira barbara'') is an omnivorous animal from the mustelid family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus ''Eira''. Tayras are also known as the ''tolomuco'' or ''perico ligero'' in Central America, ''motete'' ...

is one of the hosts of ''P. cerdocyonis''

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3813806 Archiacanthocephala Acanthocephala genera