Ascaris		Contents		Rev 10/24/2025
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Ascaris menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Ascarididae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Class:    Chromadorea

Subclass: Chromadoria

Order:   Rhabditida 

Suborder: Spirurina

Superfamily: Ascaridoidea

Family:  Ascarididae

                          Ascaris Linnaeus, 1758

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Lips not subdivided;
• Cervical alae not salient,
• Dorsal and sub ventral labial papillae distinctly double;
• Excretory cell H-shaped with nucleus behind commisural region;
• Nucleus of dorsal oesophageal gland U-shaped;
• Pericloacal region of male without roughened patches;
• Spicules >1 mm long;
• Papillae on male tail distinctly divided into precloacal and postcloacal groups; precloacal group more than 50; postcloacal group comprising on each side, two double papillae and at least two sub ventral single papillae; near these latter is situated a phasmid; no subdorsal papillae.
• Eggs coarsely mamillated.
• Parasites of Primates, Artiodactyla and Rodentia.

Ref. Sprent, 1968

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Distribution:

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Economic Importance:

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Hosts:

Human

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Ascaris

Intestinal mucosa

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Life Cycle

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Damage:

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Management:

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References:

Sprent, J.F.A. 1968. Notes on Ascaris and Toxascaris, with a definition of Baylisascaris gen.nov. Parasitology 58:185-198.

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