Table 3.
Canid and felid cardiopulmonary nematodes: differential characters of fisrt-stage larvae found by the Baermann funnel technique
| Nematode (length × width) (μm) | Morphological keys | Final host | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angiostrongylus vasorum (310–400 × 14–16) | A small cup as a cephalic button emerges on the oral extremity | Canids | [1, 2, 4, 146, 147] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Tip with a dorsal spine and sinus wave curve | |||
| Crenosoma vulpisa (240–310 × 13) | Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | Canids | [4, 111, 148, 149] |
| Tail, pointed and straight, without indentations and entirely pointed | |||
| Aulerostrongylus abstrusus (300–415 × 18–19) | Anterior extremity slender, with a short/terminal oral opening leading into a narrow vestibule | Felids | [4, 63, 150, 151] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Tail S-shaped, with visible dorsal kink, distinct deep dorsal, ventral incisures, a terminal knob-like extremity | |||
| Troglostrongylus breviorb (300–357 × 16–19) | Anterior extremity clear and pointed, with a sub-terminal oral opening | Felids | [19, 113, 151–153] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Tail gradually tapered to dorsal incision, dividing the extremity into two appendices (shallow ventral one, slender dorsal one). S-shaped tail is not obvious, ending straight, gradually tapered | |||
| Troglostrongylus subcrenatusb (269–300 × 14–19) | Head pointed, oral opening subterminal (dorsal) | Felids | [19, 113, 153] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Tail gradually tapered to the extremity with deep dorsal incisure and shallower ventral incisure | |||
| Oslerus rostratusb (335–412 × 18–20) | Head rounded, with a central oral opening and a cylindrical buccal capsule | Felids | [1, 4, 151] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Tail slightly undulated, with a deep ventral notch (ending in minuscule spine) and a shallow dorsal notch | |||
| Angiostrongylus chabaudib (307–420 × 14–16) | Cephalic extremity rounded, with a terminal buccal opening | Felids | [117, 146, 154, 155] |
| Oesophagus non-rhabditiform, 1/3–1/2 the length of the larva | |||
| Caudal extremity with a small dorsal spine and notch, ending in a short sigmoid tail | |||
| Angiostrongylus felineus c | ? | Felids | [118] |
| Strongyloides stercoralis (150–390 × 14–23) | Mouth with six lips, mouth-cavity rhabditiform, 1/20–1/21 of the total length of oesophagus | Felids and canids | [1, 4, 156] |
| Oesophagus rhabditiform (corpus, isthmus, valvulated bulb), 1/4 of the total length of the larva | |||
| Pointed and straight tail |