Parasitology: parasite survives predation on its host.
As prisoners in their living habitat, parasites should be vulnerable to destruction by the predators of their hosts. But we show here that the parasitic gordian worm Paragordius tricuspidatus is able to escape not only from its insect host after ingestion by a fish or frog but also from the digestive tract of the predator. This remarkable tactic enables the worm to continue its life cycle.
Ponton
Fleur
F
GEMI, UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, IRD, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France. fleur.ponton@mpl.ird.fr
Lebarbenchon
Camille
C
Lefèvre
Thierry
T
Biron
David G
DG
Duneau
David
D
Hughes
David P
DP
Thomas
Frédéric
F
D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010271:Parasites / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D011898:Ranidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence