Order CEPHALOBAENIDA Heymons, 1935

Museums

Regional Maps

• Cephalobaenida Heymons, R. 1935. Pentastomida. In, Bronns, H.G. (ed.). Klassen und Ordnungen des Tierreichs. Fünfter Band. IV Abteilung, 1. Buch. Leipzig : Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft m.b.H. pp. 1–268. [203].

Introduction

Two families are recognised by most authors. One, Reighardiidae Heymons & Vitzthum, 1935 and its only genus Reighardia Ward, 1899 are parasites of marine birds and is not yet recorded from Australia. Although in widespread use the other family, Cephalobaenidae, is for the most part a junior synonym of Raillietiellidae. Almeida & Christoffersen (1999) recognised all three, but in three separate orders. Only Raillietiellidae occurs in Australia.

Diagnosis

Mouth almost terminal and anterior to hooks which are disposed in a trapezium. Posterior hooks lie outside the anterior pair and are usually much larger. Hooks simple, ensheathed by a median podial lobe and flanked by parapodial lobes. Hooks suspended by muscles in a U-shaped fulcrum. Caudal extremity bifid, anus opens between diverging caudal lobes. Cephalothorax contains loosely aggregated masses of gland cells. Many thin efferent ductules terminate at frontal papillae, buccal cavity, hook pits and anterior edge of cephalothorax. Cuticle devoid of spines. Uterus saccate, vagina opens anteriorly on ventral abdomen close to junction with cephalothorax. Male genitalia with cirrus threads relatively short, cirrus tips lodged in hollow shafts of paired, club-shaped copulatory spicules. Seminal vesicle is a median elongate sac. Eggs with three layers, outer shell hard. Primary larva with double hooks in an oval fulcrum. Penetration apparatus consists of a median bifid stylet, flanked by 2–3 pairs of simple accessory spines. Early nymphal hooks usually doubled, with hook barbs lying side by side. Suboesophageal ganglion composed of three fused ganglia connected to at least four more or less separate ganglia by a doubled ventral nerve cord. (Riley 1986)

Diagnosis References

Riley, J. 1986. The biology of pentastomids. Advances in Parasitology 25: 45-128

General References

Almeida, W.O. & Christoffersen, M.L. 1999. A cladistic approach to relationships in Pentastomida. Journal of Parasitology 85: 695-704

Heymons, R. & Vitzthum, H.G. 1935. Beiträge zur Systematik der Pentastomiden. Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde 8: 1-103

Ward, H.B. 1899. On Reighardia, a new genus of Linguatulida. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 1899: 254

History of changes