Adult morphologyDipylidiumcaninumFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchSpeciesofflatwormThisarticleneedsadditionalcitationsforverification.Pleasehelpimprovethisarticlebyaddingcitationstoreliablesources.Unsourcedmaterialmaybechallengedandremoved.Findsources: "Dipylidiumcaninum" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February2017)(Learnhowandwhentoremovethistemplatemessage)DipylidiumcaninumAdultDipylidiumcaninum.ThescolexofthewormisverynarrowandtheproglottidsgetlargerastheymatureScientificclassificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:PlatyhelminthesClass:CestodaOrder:CyclophyllideaFamily:DipylidiidaeGenus:DipylidiumSpecies:D. caninumBinomialnameDipylidiumcaninum(Linnaeus,1758)DipylidiumlifecycleDipylidiumcaninum,alsocalledthefleatapeworm,double-poredtapeworm,orcucumbertapeworm(inreferencetotheshapeofitscucumber-seed-likeproglottids,thoughthesealsoresemblegrainsofriceorsesameseeds),isacyclophyllidcestodethatinfectsorganismsafflictedwithfleasandcaninechewinglice,includingdogs,cats,andsometimeshumanpet-owners,especiallychildren.Contents1Adultmorphology2Lifecycle3GeographicDistribution4Petinfections5Humaninfections6Treatmentandprevention7Gallery8References9ExternallinksAdultmorphology[edit]Theadultwormisabout18inches(46 cm)long.Gravidproglottidscontainingtheworm'smicroscopiceggsareeitherpassedinthedefinitivehost'sfecesormayleavetheirhostspontaneouslyandaretheningestedbymicroscopicflealarvae(theintermediatehosts)inthesurroundingenvironment.AsinallmembersoffamilyDipylidiidae,proglottidsoftheadultwormhavegenitalporesonbothsides(hencethenamedouble-poretapeworm).Eachsidehasasetofmaleandfemalereproductiveorgans.Theuterusispairedwith16to20radialbrancheseach.Thescolexhasaretractablerostellumwithfourrowsofhooks,alongwiththefoursuckersthatallcyclophyllidcestodeshave.Lifecycle[edit]Thedefinitivehostwithinthislifecycleisprimarilycanines,andoccasionallyfelines,andinrarecasesyoungchildren.Theintermediatehostsincludefleas(Ctenocephalidesspp.)andchewinglice.Thefirststage