''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic
trematode
Trematoda is a class of flatworms known as flukes. They are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is usually a snail. The definitive host ...
worms in the order
Diplostomida
Diplostomida is an order of trematodes in the subclass Digenea. It is synonymous with Strigeida Poche, 1926.
Families
Order Diplostomida
*Suborder Diplostomata
**Superfamily Brachylaimoidea Joyeux & Foley, 1930
***Brachylaimidae Joyeux & Foley, ...
. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.
[Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''Leucochloridium paradoxum'' mihi, und dessen parasitische Erzeugung in einer Landschnecke, ''Succinea amphibia'' Drap. ''Helix putri''s Linn. ''Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum'' 17(7), 85–100.] Members of this genus cause pulsating swellings in the eye-stalks of
snails
A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gastrop ...
(a phenomenon colloquially called a ''zombie snail''), so as to attract the attention of predatory birds required in the parasites' lifecycle.
Taxonomy
Species
Species in the genus ''Leucochloridium'' include:
* ''
Leucochloridium caryocatactis
''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic trematode worms in the order Diplostomida. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''Leucochlorid ...
''
(Zeder, 1800) now in genus ''
Urogonimus''
* ''
Leucochloridium fuscostriatum
''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic trematode worms in the order Diplostomida. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''Leucochlorid ...
''
Robinson, 1948 synonymised with ''L. variae''
* ''
Leucochloridium holostomum
''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic Trematoda, trematode worms in the order Diplostomida. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''L ...
''
(Rudolphi, 1819)
* ''
Leucochloridium paradoxum
''Leucochloridium paradoxum'', the green-banded broodsac, is a parasitic flatworm (or helminth). Its intermediate hosts are land snails, usually of the genus ''Succinea''. The pulsating, green broodsacs fill the eye stalks of the snail, thereby ...
''
Carus, 1835
* ''
Leucochloridium perturbatum''
Pojmanska, 1969 synonymised with ''L. variae''
* ''
Leucochloridium phragmitophila
''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic trematode worms in the order Diplostomida. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''Leucochlorid ...
''
Bykhovskaja-Pavlovskja & Dubinina, 1951
* ''
Leucochloridium variae
''Leucochloridium variae'', the brown-banded broodsac, is a species of trematode whose life cycle involves the alternate parasitic invasion of certain species of snail and bird. While there is no external evidence of the worm's existence within ...
''
McIntosh, 1932
* ''
Leucochloridium vogtianum
''Leucochloridium'' is a genus of parasitic trematode worms in the order Diplostomida. It Is the sole genus in the family Leucochloridiidae.Carus, C. G. (1835). Beobachtung über einen merkwürdigen schöngefärbten Eingeweidewurm, ''Leucochlorid ...
''
Baudon, 1881
Synonyms
* ''Leucochloridium macrostomum'' is a synonym for ''
Urogonimus macrostomus''
(Rudolphi, 1802)
See also
*
Aggressive mimicry
Aggressive mimicry is a form of mimicry in which predators, parasites, or parasitoids share similar signals, using a harmless model, allowing them to avoid being correctly identified by their prey or host. Zoologists have repeatedly compared t ...
References
External links
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Diplostomida
Digenea genera
Suicide-inducing parasitism
Articles containing video clips
{{Trematode-stub