Family Paragonimidae Dollfus, 1939

Abstract

[Extract] Adult paragonimids are large, fleshy trematodes occurring in pairs in capsules within the lungs (usually) of mammals. They differ from other members of the Gorgoderoidea Looss, 1899 by a suite of characters, including the absence of a cirrus-sac, extensive dendritic vitellarium and the habit of encysting in pairs in the lungs of mammals. Kerbert (1878) described as Distoma westermaniil Kerbert, 1878 worms from the lungs of a tiger that had died in Amsterdam Zoological Gardens. Braun (1899) made D. westermanii the type of his new genus Paragonimus Braun, 1899. Shortly afterwards, Looss (1899) placed it in his new genus Polysarcus Looss, 1899, which must fall as a synonym (and was in any case preoccupied). Parasitologists at that time (e.g. Stiles & Hassall, 1900) assigned Paragonimus to the Fasciolidae Railliet, 1895, whereas Odhner (1914) placed it in the Troglotrematidae Odhner, 1914. Dollfus (1939) erected the family Paragonimidae Dollfus, 1939 for it. However, some later authors (e.g. Dawes, 1946; Baer & Joyeux, 1961) continued to place it in the Troglotrematidae.