Falcaustra

 

Contents

  

Rev: 05/12/2025

  Classification Biology and Ecology
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Falcaustra Menu Ecosystem Functions and Services
Distribution Management
Return to Kathlaniidae Menu Feeding  References
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Classification:

Chromadorea

Chromadoria

Rhabditida

Spirurina

Cosmocercoidea

                         Kathlaniidae

 

                          Falcaustra Lane, 1915

Type species of the genus: Falcaustra falcata Lane, 1915

    Synonyms:
     

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Morphology and Anatomy:

 
  • Medium-sized nematodes, body cylindrical, tapering posteriorly, truncate anteriorly.
  • Cuticle with fine, regular transverse striations.
  • Mouth opening triangular, surrounded by 3 large lips, each with 2 forked papillae.
  •  One amphid on each ventrolateral lip.
  • Additional cephalic papillae absent.
  • Esophagus with inflated isthmus and posterior spherical bulb.
  • Tail conical in both sexes.
  • Male monorchic, female amphidelphic.
  • Species of Falcaustra are distinguished based on charateristics of the male, usually on the number and arrangement of caudal papillae, length of spicules, and presence or absence of a pseudosucker.

Ref Bursey et al. (2014).
 
 
   
Body size range for the species of this genus in the database - Click:
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Distribution:

 

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Falcaustra

Intestinal parasites of reptiles and amphibians.

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Biology and Ecology:

 

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Life Cycle:

The adult stages of Falcaustra spp.parasitize mainly turtles, less frequently amphibians and fish, and one species is reported to parasitize a bird.

In general, the life cycle is unknown but third-stage larvae have been found in snails and fishes which are probably paratenic hosts in the life cycle of Falcaustra species (Bartlett and Anderson 1985; Gonzalez et al., 2013)

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this genus, click 
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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

 

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Management:

 
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References:

Bartlett C.M., Anderson R.C. 1985. Larval nematodes (Ascaridida and Spirurida) in the aquatic snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 46, 153 159. DOI:10. 1016/0022-2011(85)90143-0.

Bursey, C.R., Goldberg, S.R., Grismer, L.L. 2014.New species of Bakeria (Nematoda; Strongylida; Molineidae), new species of Falcaustra (Nematoda; Ascaridida; Kathlaniidae) and other helminths in Cnemaspis mcguirei (Sauria; Gekkonidae) from Peninsular Malaysia. Acto Parasitologica 59:643-652.

Gonzalez, C.E., Sanabria, E.A., Quiroga, L.B. 2013. Falcaustra sanjuanensis sp. nov. (Nematoda: Kathlaniidae) from Odontophrynus cf. barrioi (Anura: Cycloramphidae) from Argentina... Acta Parasitologica 58:119-125.

Lane C. 1915. Falcaustra falcata, an investigation of Oxysoma falcatum von Linstow, 1906. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 3: 109-115.

Moravec, F., Van As, J.G. 2994. Nematodes from the squeaker fishes Synodontis nigromaculatus and S. vanderwaali from the Okavango River, Botswana, including three new species. Systematic Parasitology 59: 169-187.

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: May 12, 2025.