Aquatic Parasite Observatory

Haematoloechus spp. (Looss, 1899)

    • Species Name: Haematoloechus spp. (Looss, 1899)
    • Synonyms: Pneumonoeces (Looss, 1902); Ostiolum (Pratyy, 1903); Pneumobites (Ward, 1917); Anomolecithus (Odening, 1958)
    • Taxonomy: (Looss, 1899) Animalia, Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Plagiorchiida, Haematoloechidae, Haematoloechus spp.
    • Life Cycle: "Species of this genus use a snail first intermediate host, often planorbid snails. Dragonflies and damselflies are used as a second intermediate host, and frogs as the definitive hosts. As adults, the parasites reside in the lungs of the frogs" (Dronen, 1975).
    • Description:
      2. Body elongate or elongate-oval. Tegument spinous or not. Oral sucker subterminal, usually larger than ventral. Ventral sucker in anterior or middle third of body. Testes oblique or nearly symmetrical, intercaecal, in middle third of body. Ovary near to, or overlapped by, ventral sucker. Vitelline follicles in form of rosettes, grape-like clusters or in irregular pattern, extend posteriorly past level of testes. Uterine lopps occupy most of hindbody and intercaecal space in forebody; extracaecal lopps present or absent. Vitelline follicles in the form of rosettes, or in grape-like clusters or in irregular pattern, extend posteriorly beyond level of testes.
    • Sources: Bray, R.A., Gibson D.I., and Jones, A. 2008. Keys to the Trematoda, Vol. 3, p. 364.
      Dronen Jr., N.O. 1975. The Life Cycle of Haematoloechus coloradensis Cort 1915 (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae), with Emphasis on Host Susceptibility to Infection. The Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 61, No. 4, p. 657-660.
    • APO Parasite Records: (by Life Cycle)

Parasite Images:

Distribution Map:

  • University of Colorado Boulder