Zoonotic-potential
Guides
Acanthocephala
thorny-headed worms, spiny-headed worms, acanthocephalans
Acanthocephala is a phylum of obligate endoparasitic worms known as thorny-headed or spiny-headed worms, characterized by an eversible proboscis armed with recurved hooks used to attach to host intestinal walls. They lack a mouth and digestive system, absorbing nutrients directly through their tegument. The phylum contains approximately 1,200–1,420 described species with complex life cycles involving arthropod intermediate hosts and vertebrate definitive hosts. Recent molecular evidence indicates they are highly modified rotifers, now sometimes classified within Syndermata or Rotifera.
Hippoboscidae
louse flies, keds
Hippoboscidae, commonly known as louse flies or keds, are obligate ectoparasites of birds and mammals. The family comprises over 200 species distributed across three subfamilies: Hippoboscinae (mammal parasites), Lipopteninae (deer keds and sheep keds), and Ornithomyinae (bird parasites). Members exhibit dramatic variation in wing morphology, from fully winged forms capable of flight to completely wingless species. Their reproductive strategy is highly unusual among Diptera: females retain and nourish a single larva internally using specialized 'milk glands,' then deposit a fully developed prepupa that immediately pupates.