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Dipylidium caninum | |
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Adult Dipylidium caninum. The scolex of the worm is very narrow and the proglottids get larger as they mature | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
Class: | Cestoda |
Order: | Cyclophyllidea |
Family: | Dipylidiidae |
Genus: | Dipylidium |
Species: | D. caninum
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Binomial name | |
Dipylidium caninum (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Synonyms | |
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Dipylidium caninum, also called the flea tapeworm, double-pored tapeworm, or cucumber tapeworm (in reference to the shape of its cucumber-seed-like proglottids, though these also resemble grains of rice or sesame seeds) is a cyclophyllid cestode that infects organisms afflicted with fleas and canine chewing lice, including dogs, cats, and sometimes human pet-owners, especially children.