Family: Cooperiidae

Revised 02/26/24

Classification:
 

   Chromadorea

Chromadoria

Rhabditida

Rhabditina

Trichostrongyloidea

           Cooperiidae (Skrjabin & Schultz, 1937) Durette-Desset, Hugot, Darlu, & Chabaud, 1999

A large family, many of which are parasites of ruminant mammals.

Three subfamilies separetde primarily on pattern of bursal rays opf males:

• Cooperiinae - intestinal parasites of ruminants (bursal rays in a 2-2-1 pattern with ray 3 longer than ray 5)
• Libyostrongylinae - parsites of rodents and flightless birds (bursal rays in a 1-3-1 pattern with ray 3 eqal to or shorter than than ray 5)
• Obeliscoidinae - parasites of rabbits, tapir, birds (bursal rays in a 2-1-2 pattern with rays 5 and 6 joined or parallel)

The synlophe, a system of longitudinal cuticular ridges, is characteristic of some trichostrongyloid nematodes and is used to aid identification.

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Buccal capsule reduced.
• Cephalic vesicle present
• Synlophe bilaterally symmetrical
• Females usually didelphic
• Tail lacking spine

Distribution

Economic Importance:

Large family; many genera are parasites of ruminants and often of considerable veteriinary importance.

Hosts:

Mammals, birds, including cattle, rabbits, tapirs, rodents, and Gorilla

Feeding

Parasites of stomach and digestive tract.

Life Cycle:

Third stage juveniles ingested by definitive hsot where they develop in small intestine. Arrested larval development (hypobiosis, a dauer stage) is common.

Damage:

Management:

Management by anthelminthics important in cattle.

References:

Beveridge, I., Spratt, D.M.  and Durette-Desset, M-C. 2014. Order Strongylida (Railliet and Henry, 1913). In Schmidt-Raesa, A. (ed). Handbook of Zoology: Gastroctricha, Cycloneurelia and Gnathifera. Vol 2. Nematoda. De Gruyter, Berlin

Durette-Desset, M-C., Hugot, J.P., Darlu, P. and Chabaud, A.G. 1999. A cladistic analysis of the Trichostrongyloidea. Int. Jour. Parasitol. 21:579-587.

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