Heteromyoxyuris		Contents		Rev 05/11/2026
		Classification		Hosts
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Heteromyoxyuris Menu		Economic Importance		Damage
		Distribution		Management
Return to Oxyuridae Menu		Feeding		References
		Nemaplex Home Page		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea
Chromadoria

           Rhabditida 

                       Spirurina

                          Oxyuroidea

                   Oxyuridae

Oxyurinae

 

            Heteromyoxyuris Quentin, 1973

Type species of the genus: Heteromyoxyuris deserti Read & Millemann, 1953

Pinworm parasites of rodents

Note: Heteromyoxyuris deserti, a parasite of Dipodomys panamintinus in Califorrnia, and H. longejector, a parasite of Perognathus sp., in Nevada, were both transferred to Heteromyoxyuris from Trypanoxyuris and Wellcomia, respectively, by Quentin (1973) (Garcia-Prieto et al., 2008).

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Morphology and Anatomy:

• Small, robust nematodes.
•  Mouth with 3 strong teeth and 3 interlabial processes
• Cephalic region with 2 circles of 4 papillae each;  amphids located at external circle of papillae
• Cephalic region offset from body by deep groove.
•  Lateral alae present between esophageal bulb to anus/cloaca opening in both sexes
• Excretory pore situated in first third of body
• Females with strongly muscular vagina and nonembryonated eggs, without opercula.
•  Males lacking caudal alae.
• Ref: Garcia-Prieto et al., 2008

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Distribution:

Most species of Heteromyoxyuris have been described from heteromyid rodents, usually from arid regions in the USA and Mexico.

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Economic Importance:

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Feeding:

Food Sources and Feeding strategies for the genus Heteromyoxyuris

Intestinal parasites of rodents

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Hosts:

Reported from kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.) and pocket mice (Perognathus spp.),

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Life Cycle:

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Damage:

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Management:

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References:

Garcıa-Prieto, L., Falcon-Ordaz, J., Lira-Guerrero, G., Mendoza-Garfias, B. 2008. A new species of Heteromyoxyuris (Nematode: Oxyuridae), parasite of Perognathus flavus (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) fro Mexico. J. Parasitol., 94:860-865

Petter, A.J. and Quentin, J.C. 1976. Key to the genera of the Oxyuroidea. CIH Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. No. 4. Anderson, R.C., Chabaud, A.G. & Willmott, S. (Editors). Farnham Royal, Slough, UK: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, 30 pp

Quentin, J.C. 1973. Les Oxyurinae de Rongeurs. Bulletin du Musee Nationalle d’Histoire naturelle 12: 1045-1096.

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Copyright  1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: May 11, 2026.