Dipylidium caninum

Taxonomy:
 Kingdom : Animalia

 Phylum: Platyhelminthes

 Class: Cestoda

 Order: Cyclophyllidea

 Family: Dipylidiidae

 Genus: Dipylidium

 Species: D. caninum
Parasite biology:
 very common intestinal parasite of dogs and cats worldwide,
especially in dogs populations where ectoparasitism is high.
 Dipylidiasis is accidental and is observed to be more common
in children than in adults.
 Pale reddish adult worm- (10 to 70cm in length)
 Armed with one to seven rows of rose thorn-shaped hooklets.
 The gravid proglottids have the size and shape of a pumpkin
seed ad are filled with capsules or packets of about 8 to 15 eggs
enclosed in embryonic membrane.
 Eggs are spherical, thin-shelled with a hexacanth embryo.
Life cycle: