The Life Cycle of Plagiorchis vespertilionis parorchis, n. ssp., (Trematoda: Plagiorchiidae), and Observations on the Effects of Light on the Emergence of the Cercaria

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Abstract
A new subspecies of the bat fluke Plagiorchis vespertilionis and its life history are described. The testicular angle is used to indicate subspecific differences in the position of the testes. The cercaria, of the Polyadena group of xiphidiocercaria, develops a sporocyst in Lymnaea stagnalis and encysts in mosquito larvae, caddis-fly larvae, mayfly larvae and dragonfly nymphs. Cercariae are shed almost entirely at night, but in a preliminary experiment it was found that shedding time could be largely reversed by changing periods of illumination. Granules filling much of the body of the cercaria were judged to be somewhat larger than those of the cercaria of P. micracanthos. Seven-day old metacercariae in caddis-fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and dragonfly nymphs proved to be infective when fed to white mice. Three hamsters and several white mice were refractive to infection. After 7 days in mice the worms had well-formed organs and sperm, but eggs had not yet appeared; in 16 days maximum size of mature worms was attained after which they soon were lost from the host.

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