Linguatulids (Order Acarina) from Man and Other Hosts in China 1

Abstract

SummaryData are presented on four linguatulids from China. They consist of Armillifer moniliformis from the liver of man, Linguatula serrata from the lung of a rabbit, Kiricephalus pattoni from the lung of a cat, and Reighardia sternae from the lung and portal blood of Sterna fluviatilis. The worms were all nymphs. These are the first records of the group from China, save the mention of Kirocephalus pattoni from a Hongkong snake (Southwell, 1924).A single encysted nymph of Armillifer moniliformis was obtained from the liver of a Tibetan who had died in Peking of miliary tuberculosis. Diagnosis was based on sections of the worm. The specimen was particularly interesting in view of the presence of integumentary spines, whihc had not been previously reported for this genus, although they were known for closely related genera. The study of Linguatula serrata showed that the specimens were provided with the characteristic two pairs of claws arranged archwise around the mouth, and, in addition, the fundaments of the claws of the imago stage. This suggests that the nymphs were about to metamorphose into the images. The finding of the nymphal Kiricephalus pattoni in the lung of a cat provided for the first time a clue as to the intermediate host of members of this genus. The cat most likely incurred the infection from consumption of infested snake viscera. The occurrence of Reighardia sternae in the portal blood and lungs of Sterna fluviatilis, the definitive host, indicates that the nymphs were in migration from the intestine to the air sacs, where the adult worms of this species are found. The nymphs, described were for the first time, resemble the larvae, in possessing three pairs of claws, the anterior preoral pair being shed previous to metamorphosis into the imago stage. These findings support Sambon's studies on the classification and distribution of members of the family Linguatulidae.