Plagiorchiata
Encyclopedia
The Plagiorchiata are by far the largest suborder of plagiorchiida
n flatworm
s. They belong to the Digenea
, a large subclass
of flukes. These parasites rarely if ever affect humans, but domestic animals may be severely affected bby some species. The Lancet Liver Fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum) is noted for its cercaria larva, which induces the intermediate host
(certain ant
s) to suicidal behavior.
The following families
are placed here:
Plagiorchiida
The Plagiorchiida are a large order of flatworms. They belong to the Digenea, a large subclass of flukes. Unlike the related Echinostomida and Strigeidida, they contain relatively few significant parasites of humans.The following suborders are placed here:...
n flatworm
Flatworm
The flatworms, known in scientific literature as Platyhelminthes or Plathelminthes are a phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrate animals...
s. They belong to the Digenea
Digenea
Digenea is a subclass within the Platyhelminthes consisting of parasitic flatworms with a syncytial tegument and, usually, two suckers, one ventral and one oral. Adults are particularly common in the digestive tract, but occur throughout the organ systems of all classes of vertebrates...
, a large subclass
Class (biology)
In biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
of flukes. These parasites rarely if ever affect humans, but domestic animals may be severely affected bby some species. The Lancet Liver Fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum) is noted for its cercaria larva, which induces the intermediate host
Intermediate host
A secondary host or intermediate host is a host that harbors the parasite only for a short transition period, during which some developmental stage is completed. For trypanosomes, the cause of sleeping sickness, humans are the primary host, while the tsetse fly is the secondary host...
(certain ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s) to suicidal behavior.
The following families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
are placed here: