Libyostrongylus		Contents		Rev 04/04/2024
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Libyostrongylus Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Cooperiidae Menu		Feeding		References
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Classification

Chromadorea

Chromadoria

Rhabditida

  Rhabditina

   Trichostronglyloidea

    Cooperiidae

Libyostrongylus Lane, 1923

Type species of the genus: Libyostrongylus douglassii (Cobbold, 1882) Lane, 1923

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Morphology and Anatomy:

Although superficially similar, species of Libyostrongylus are distinuished morphologically from each other by the structure of the terminal bifurcations of the dorsal ray and in the pattern of the lateral rays (rays 3-5) of the male copulatory bursa/

The genus Libyostrongylus was established by Lane (1923) for some African trichostrongylids, with L. douglassii as type species from ostriches, and L. hebrenicutus  from gorillas. Libyostrongylus dentatus, a parasite of ostriches, is distiinguished by the presence of a prominent esophagels dorsal tooth. It is frequently found in mixed infectios with L. douglassii but readily identified by the dorsal tooth and by the structure and dorsal ray of the bursa in males (Hoberg et al., 1995).

General characteristics of the genus:

• Typical features of the superfamily Trichostrongyloidea and family Cooperiidae.
• Uncoiled, red coloration, cuticle with strong transverse striations; synlophe absent.
• Cervical papillae minuscule, situated near level of excretory pore.
• Esophagus with maximum diameter in posterior.
• Mouth oval, with dorsal and ventral notches; cuticularized buccal ring well developed.
•  6 cephalic papillae with 2 pairs near the lateral amphids, and 4 externo-labial papillae are apparent.

Females:

• Didelphic

Males:

• Prominent symmetrical bursa

..

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Distribution

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Economic Importance:

Parasites of the posterior proventriculus and beneath the koilon lining of the gizzard of ratite birds.  The type specioes of the genus, L. douglassii  is considered to be extremely pathogenic  in ostriches (Hoberg et al., 1995).

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Hosts:

Ratites (emus, rheas and ostriches). Probably introduced from native habitat of the birds from Africa and South America to zoos in variuous parts of the world.  Occur in free-ranging flocks in North America.

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Feeding

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Life Cycle:

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Damage:

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Management:

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References:

Albrechtova, M., Langrova, I., Vadlech, J., Spakulova, M. 2020. A revised checklist of nematodes (Trichostrogyloidea), common parasites of wild and domestic ruminants. Helminthologia 57: 280-287.

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.

Cobbold, T.S.. 1882. New entozoon from the ostrich. Journal of the Linnean Society 16:184-188.

Hoberg, E.P., Lloyd, S., Omar, H. 1995. Libyostrongylus dentatus n. sp. (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae) from Ostriches in North America, with Comments on the Genera Libyostrongylus and Paralibyostrongylus. J. Parasitul. 81:85-93.

Lane, C. 1923.  Some Strongylata. Parasitology 15:348-364.

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