Crenosomaus vulpis		Contents		Rev 10/25/2025
Dog Lungworm		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Crenosomaus Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Crenosomatidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Synonyms:

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Anterior of adults have 18-26 cuticular folds.4 Male worms measure 3.5
  8 mm long 3 280
  320 µm wide with a well-developed bursa with a large dorsal ray.4 Spicules are long and slender measuring 340
  400 µm long with a gubernaculum 55
  130 µm long.4 Female worms measure 12
  16 mm long 3 300
  480 µm wide with the vulva near the middle of the body.4

Males:

• Length 5-8 mm, width 280-320 um
• Bursa well-developed with a large dorsal ray.
• Spicules  long and slender, 340-400 um
• Gubernaculum 55-130 um

Females:

•  Length 12-16 mm long x300-480 um wide.
• Vulva near mid-body

Ref: Marchiondo, 2020

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Distribution:

Worldwide distribution as a oparasite of dogs and farmed foxes.

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Feeding:

Parasite of the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles (Marchiondo, 2020).

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Biology and Ecology:

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Life Cycle:

• Oviparous female nematodes deposit eggs in the lungs of the definitive host. Eggs develop and hatch as L1
• Eggs and L1 larvae are coughed up, swallowed, and pass out in feces,.L1 larvae migrate up the respiratory tract to the pharynx, are swallowed, and passed out in the feces.
• The L1 penetrates a snail or slug (intermediate host) and molts to the L2 and to the infective sheathed L3 (retaining cuticle of previous stage).
• Definitive host become infected by ingesting infected gastropods with their food.
• The L3 penetrate the intestinal wall, entesr the lymphatic system and migrate to the  lungs.
• In the lungs, L3 molt to the L4 which develops and molts to the adult
• The prepatent period is 6-10 weeks (Marchiondo, 2020).
  

Ecophysiological Parameters:

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Ecosystem Functions and Services:

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Management:

Anthelminthics

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References:

Marchiondo, A.A. 2020. Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea. Chapter 2 in Marchiondo, Cruthers and Fourie (eds) Parasiticide Screening Vol 2. Academic Press

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: October 25, 2025.