This is an ''incomplete list'' of
organisms that are true
parasites upon other organisms.
Endoparasites
(''endo'' = within; parasites that live inside their hosts)
Plants
*
Rafflesia
*
Cuscuta
*
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant.
...
Parasitic worms
These can be categorized into three groups;
cestode
Cestoda is a class of parasitic worms in the flatworm phylum (Platyhelminthes). Most of the species—and the best-known—are those in the subclass Eucestoda; they are ribbon-like worms as adults, known as tapeworms. Their bodies consist of man ...
s,
nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
s and
trematodes. Examples include:
*
Acanthocephala
*
Ascariasis
Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm ''Ascaris lumbricoides''. Infections have no symptoms in more than 85% of cases, especially if the number of worms is small. Symptoms increase with the number of worms present and may in ...
(roundworms)
*
Cestoda (tapeworms) including: ''
Taenia saginata'' (human beef tapeworm), ''
Taenia solium'' (human pork tapeworm), ''
Diphyllobothrium latum
''Diphyllobothrium'' is a genus of tapeworms which can cause diphyllobothriasis in humans through consumption of raw or undercooked fish. The principal species causing diphyllobothriasis is ''D. latum'', known as the broad or fish tapeworm, or b ...
'' (fish tapeworm) and
Echinococcosis (hydatid tapeworm)
* ''
Clonorchis sinensis
''Clonorchis sinensis'', the Chinese liver fluke, is a liver fluke belonging to the class Trematoda, phylum Platyhelminthes. It infects fish-eating mammals, including humans. In humans, it infects the common bile duct and gall bladder, feeding on ...
'' (the Chinese liver fluke)
* ''
Dracunculus medinensis'' (Guinea worm)
* ''
Enterobius vermicularis'' (pinworm)
*
Filariasis
*
Hookworm
Hookworms are intestinal, blood-feeding, parasitic roundworms that cause types of infection known as helminthiases. Hookworm infection is found in many parts of the world, and is common in areas with poor access to adequate water, sanitation, an ...
* ''
Loa loa''
*
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindne ...
(river blindness)
*
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody s ...
* ''
Strongyloides stercoralis
''Strongyloides stercoralis'' is a human pathogenic parasitism, parasitic nematode, roundworm causing the disease strongyloidiasis. Its common name in the US is threadworm. In the UK and Australia, however, the term ''threadworm'' can also refe ...
''
*
Tapeworm
* ''
Toxocara canis'' (dog roundworm)
*
Trichinella
*
Whipworm
Protozoans
* ''
Entamoeba histolytica'' and ''
Entamoeba coli
''Entamoeba coli'' is a non-pathogenic species of ''Entamoeba'' that frequently exists as a commensal parasite in the human gastrointestinal tract. ''E. coli'' (not to be confused with the bacterium ''Escherichia coli'') is important in medicine ...
'' - can cause
Amoebiasis
* ''
Acanthamoeba''
* ''
Balamuthia mandrillaris
''Balamuthia mandrillaris'' is a free-living amoeba that causes the rare but deadly neurological condition granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). ''B. mandrillaris'' is a soil-dwelling amoeba and was first discovered in 1986 in the brain of ...
''
* ''
Giardia
''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between ...
''
* ''
Cyclospora cayetanensis
''Cyclospora cayetanensis'' is a coccidian parasite that causes a diarrheal disease called cyclosporiasis in humans and possibly in other primates. Originally reported as a novel pathogen of probable coccidian nature in the 1980s and described ...
''
* ''
Cryptosporidium
''Cryptosporidium'', sometimes informally called crypto, is a genus of apicomplexan parasitic alveolates that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness (cryptosporidiosis) that primarily involves watery diarrhea (intestinal cryptosp ...
''
* ''
Toxoplasma gondii''
* ''
Leishmania
''Leishmania'' is a parasitic protozoan, a single-celled organism of the genus '' Leishmania'' that are responsible for the disease leishmaniasis. They are spread by sandflies of the genus ''Phlebotomus'' in the Old World, and of the genus '' ...
'' - ''
L. tropica'', ''
L. donovani'', and ''
L. mexicana'' are known to cause
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a wide array of clinical manifestations caused by parasites of the trypanosome genus ''Leishmania''. It is generally spread through the bite of phlebotomine sandflies, ''Phlebotomus'' and ''Lutzomyia'', and occurs most freq ...
.
* ''
Plasmodium'' - causes the fatal disease,
Malaria. ''
P. falciparum
''Plasmodium falciparum'' is a Unicellular organism, unicellular protozoan parasite of humans, and the deadliest species of ''Plasmodium'' that causes malaria in humans. The parasite is transmitted through the bite of a female ''Anopheles'' mosqu ...
'', ''
P. vivax'', and ''
P. malariae'' are pathogenic to humans.
* ''
Babesia''
Fungi
* ''
Gymnosporangium'' and other
rusts
* ''
Pyrenophora teres
''Pyrenophora teres'' is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen of some plant species, the most significant of which are economically important agricultural crops such as barley. Toxins include aspergillomarasmine A and related compounds.
Host & symptom ...
''
* ''
Cordyceps
''Cordyceps'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi (sac fungi) that includes about 600 species. Most ''Cordyceps'' species are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasiti ...
''
Arthropods
* ''
Pentastomida
The Pentastomida are an enigmatic group of parasitic arthropods commonly known as tongue worms due to the resemblance of the species of the genus ''Linguatula'' to a vertebrate tongue; molecular studies point to them being degenerate crustaceans. ...
''
Ectoparasites
(''ecto'' = outside; parasites that live on but not within their hosts, for example, attached to their skin)
Arthropoda
*
Acari
**''
Varroa destructor''
* ''
Cymothoa exigua
''Cymothoa exigua'', or the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae. It enters fish through the gills. The female attaches to the tongue, while the male attaches to the gill arches beneath and behind the female. Fe ...
''
*
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are insects from the genus ''Cimex'' that feed on blood, usually at night. Their bites can result in a number of health impacts including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms. Bed bug bites may lead to skin changes ...
*
Culicidae (mosquitoes)
* Calyptra (moth) (vampire moths)
* Hippoboscoidea
** Tsetse fly
** ''Lipoptena''
** ''Melophagus ovinus'', (sheep keds) and relatives
* Oestridae (bot flies)
** Human botfly
** ''Cuterebra fontinella'' (mouse botfly)
* Phlebotominae (sand flies)
* Phthiraptera (Lice)
** Body louse
** Crab louse
** Head louse
* Siphonaptera (fleas)
* Horse-fly, Tabanidae (horse flies)
* Tantulocarida
* Triatominae
* Pea crab
* ''Sacculina''
Annelids
* Hirudinea (some leeches)
Monogeneans
Monogeneans are flatworms, generally ectoparasites on fish.
* ''Calydiscoides euzeti''
* ''Lethacotyle vera''
* ''Protocotyle euzetmaillardi''
* ''Pseudorhabdosynochus'' spp.
Mollusks
* Cancellaria cooperii
* Glochidium
* Pyramidellidae
* †Platyceratidae
Chordates
* Cookiecutter shark
* Candiru (fish), Candiru (vampire fish of Brazil, a facultative parasite)
* Lampreys
* Male Deep sea anglers
* False cleanerfish
* Hood mockingbird
* Oxpeckers (cleaning symbiosis)
* Snubnosed eel
* Vampire bat
* Vampire finch
* Cuckoo (brood parasite)
* Cowbird (brood parasite)
Plants
*
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant.
...
*Monotropa uniflora
* Certain orchids
* Nuytsia
* Santalum album
Fungi
* Corn smut
* Certain mushrooms
*''Asterotremella albida''
References
{{reflist
See also
* List of fictional parasites
Biology-related lists, Parasitic organisms
Nature-related lists, Parasitic organisms
Parasites, *