Rev. 12/27/23
Animal parasitic species
Small nematodes
Parasites of skin, eyes, vascular systems and muscles of vertebrates
Intestine is replaced by a trophosome as in the Mermithida
Eight genera are recognised and arranged in two families.
Muspiceidae Brumpt, 1930 contains the genera
Muspicea from the subcutaneous tissues and inguinal glands of mice (Mus spp.)
Riouxgolvania Bain & Chabaud, 1968
Lukonema Chabaud & Bain, 1994 parasite of bats
Pennisia Bain & Chabaud, 1979
Maseria Rausch & Rausch, 1983 from the subcutaneous tissues of the wings and feet of bats.
Robertdollfusiidae Chabaud & Campana, 1950 contains the genera
Robertdollfusa Chabaud & Campana, 1950, from the anterior chamber behind the cornea of the eye of corvids and from the brain of falconids,
Durikainema Spratt & Speare, 1982 from the portal and intracardiac veins and epicardial lymphatics of kangaroos and wallabies and the pulmonary arteries of koalas (Spratt & Gill, 1998) and brushtail possums
Lappnema Bain & Nikander, 1982 from the subcutaneous capillaries of the ears of reindeer.
Haycocknema Spratt, Beveridge, Andrews & Dennett from muscles of humans.
Muspicea, Riouxgolvania, Lukonema, Maseria and Robertdollfusa and Lappnema are protandrous hermaphrodites while Haycocknema, Pennisia and Durikainema are amphimictic in their reproductive strategies (Spratt et al., 1999)
.