Family Orchipedidae Skrjabin, 1913

Abstract

[Extract] The family Orchipedidae Skrjabin, 1913 is a small family of gorgoderoids distinguished by having the testes in the form of numerous follicles largely or entirely in the hindbody and the terminal genitalia free in the parenchyma. Members of this family inhabit the respiratory tract and adjacent tissues of mammals and birds. Braun (1901b) proposed Orchipedum Braun, 1901 for trematodes from the trachea of a duck and noted that it seemed close to Psilostomum Looss, 1899. Odhner (1913), in proposing the new family Psilostomidae Looss, 1900, considered that Orchipedum should not be placed in this family. Skrjabin (1913), however, erected the subfamily Orchipedinae Skrjabin, 1913 within the Psilostomidae. Skrjabin (1925) recognized this taxon at the family level, a status retained by most subsequent workers.