Moniezia expansa

Geographic Range

Moniezia expansa is primarily present throughout ungulates of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia. This parasite has also been found in South American countries, including Peru and Argentina.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native
• oriental oriental
  • native native
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native
• neotropical neotropical
  • native native

Habitat

Moniezia expansa occupies three different environments during its life cycle: the external environment, the body cavity of the intermediate host (oribatid mite), and the intestine of the definitive host (ungulate). First, the eggs of M. expansa exist in the external environment until accidentally ingested by the intermediate host, an oribatid (ground living) mite. The eggs of M. expansa exist in ungulates' feces, most regularly in pastures where these animals feed. The oribatid mite occupies the first inch of turf-hiding during the day, and searching for food at night. Moniezia expansa eggs will then grow and develop to adults in the oribatid mite’s body cavity. Through ingestion of the oribatid mite by ungulates, the adult M. expansa is able to feed on nutrients in the host’s intestine.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Other Habitat Features
• agricultural agricultural

Physical Description

Like all cestodes, or tapeworms, M. expansa are flat with multiple segments of proglottids, used for producing gametes for reproduction. The adult bodies lack digestive tracts and are covered in microvilli to increase surface area for the absorption of nutrients. Moniezia expansa adults can reach lengths of 4 to 5 meters and are separated into three sections including the scolex, neck and strobila. The scolex is usually less than 1 millimeter, and contains suckers and hooks to assist in holding on to the host. The small neck produces immature proglottids, while the large strobila (main body) consists of a large chain of mature male and female proglottids. The size of M. expansa larvae vary throughout its life cycle, containing hooks to dispel the egg.

Moniezia expansa can be distinguished from a similar species, Moniezia benedeni , through the patterns of interproglottidal glands. In M. expansa these glands from a rosette pattern around depressions into the posterior surface while M. benedeni glands are linear.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• heterothermic heterothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

Development

The life cycle of M. expansa begins with the development of the oncosphere, a six-hooked larva, inside the cuticle of the egg. Following the consumption of mature eggs by the intermediate host (oribatid mite) the oncosphere emerges through destruction in the egg’s cuticle caused by the host’s mouth parts. The oncosphere is then able to invade the intestinal wall of the mite and continue growth into an invasive cysticercoid larva in the mite’s body cavity, or hemocoel. By 15 to 18 weeks fully developed cysticercoids are formed. The oribatid mite is then consumed by the definitive host (ungulate) where further development into the adult occurs in the intestine. The life cycle is completed through the release of proglottids, containing eggs, in the ungulate’s feces. Eggs are able to survive on their own, without ingestion by the intermediate host, for less than one day.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis
• diapause diapause

Reproduction

Moniezia expansa does not have a complex mating system.

The strobila of Moniezia expansa , which contain chains of mature male and female proglottids, allow for reproduction within a proglottid or copulation with other proglottids and proglottids of other tapeworms. Once reproduction has occurred, proglottids containing fertilized eggs (gravid proglottid) will reach the end of the strobila and detach into the host feces.

Mass amounts of eggs must be produced to counter high mortality seen in the egg and larval form. This is caused by environmental conditions and the absence of ingestion by the intermediate and definitive host.

• Key Reproductive Features
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous

Moniezia expansa shows no parental investment.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan/longevity of Moniezia expansa has not been studied.

Behavior

Specific behavior of Moniezia expansa have not been studied but adult Cestoda have no cilia, and thus do not travel.

• Key Behaviors
• parasite parasite

Communication and Perception

Moniezia expansa has sensory organs characteristic of organisms in the class Cestoda. These consist of general sensory organs for tactile stimulation and are located in the scolex where longitudinal nerves then extend down the body.

• Communication Channels
• chemical chemical

• Perception Channels
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Cestodes, including Moniezia expansa contain no digestive system, and therefore absorb nutrients from the host’s intestine through their tegument, or external covering. Projections of microvilli aid in the absorption of nutrients through an increase in surface area.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • eats body fluids

• Animal Foods
• body fluids

Predation

Moniezia expansa are not predatory or preyed upon directly.

Ecosystem Roles

Moniezia expansa can be found in the intermediate host, an oribatid mite, or in the small intestine of the definitive host, sheep and cattle. This parasite's most important impact on the community is seen through the infection of sheep or cattle with Moniezia expansa which can cause stockbreeding losses through diarrhea and flesh loss. There have also been reports of Moniezia expansa in the domestic pig in Peru.

• Ecosystem Impact
• parasite parasite

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

There are no known positive effects of Moniezia expansa on humans.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Although Moniezia expansa does not directly negatively affect humans, it can indirectly affect humans through the loss of cattle and sheep. The stockbreeding loss associated with infection of M. expansa in cattle and sheep can cause an economic loss affecting humans with an income based on cattle and sheep.

• Negative Impacts
• causes or carries domestic animal disease causes or carries domestic animal disease

Conservation Status

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Andrea Smith (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Heidi Liere (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Marino (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Barry OConnor (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Renee Mulcrone (editor), Special Projects.

References

Barriga, O. 1994. Veterinary Parasitology . Columbus: Greyden Press.

Beveridge, I., L. Khalil, A. Jones, R. Bray. 1994. Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates . Wallingford: CAB International.

Brusca, R., G. Brusca. 1990. Invertebrates . Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.

Chilton, N., M. O'Callaghan, I. Beveridge, R. Andrews. 2007. Genetic markers to distinguish Moniezia expansa from M. benedeni . Parasitology Research , 100: 1187.

Elliot, D. 1993. Tapeworm ( Moniezia expansa ) and its effect on sheep production: the evidence reviewed. New Zealand Veterinary Journal , 106 (4): 429-440.

Gomez-Puerta, , Denegre. 2008. Occurrence of Moniezia expansa in dometic pig. Veterinary Parasitology , 33: 191-194.

Melhorn, H. 2001. Encyclopedic Reference of Parasitology . Berlin: Springer.

Olsen, O. 1986. Animal parasites: their life cycles and ecology . Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.

Stunkard, H. 1939. The development of Moniezia expansa in the intermediate host. Parasitology , 30: 491-501.

Taylor, E. 1928. Moniezia , a genus of cestode worms, and the proposed reduction of its species to three. Proceedings of the US Natational Museum , 74: 1-9.