Name a Parasite That Lives Inside an Animal’s Body

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name a parasite that lives inside an animal's body

Living things need to do symbiosis in order to survive. There is a symbiosis that is beneficial and there is also a disadvantage. These harmful ones are commonly referred to as parasites. The parasite will look for a host or victim to target. This parasite will use the victim to survive. There are many terrible parasites that you need to know. Here are 10 name a parasite that lives inside an animal’s body.

1. Emerald Cockroach Wasp

Several types of wasps or wasps are parasitic. One of them is Emerald cockroach wasp. What makes this insect known is its emerald green body color. For us humans, these animals may be beautiful animals, but for cockroaches, this is a nightmare for them.

Emerald cocroach wasp uses cockroaches for hatching eggs. Emerald cocroach wasp female will attack cockroaches and sting them until they go limp. When the cockroaches go limp, the female wasp will put their eggs in the cockroach’s stomach. The wasp larvae will hatch and eat the cockroaches from the inside. When it reaches a certain time, the larvae will turn into a cocoon which will then emerge into an adult wasp.

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2. Glyptapanteles

Several types of wasps or wasps are parasitic. As will be discussed on this one, wasp type Glyptapanteles. This wasp is a big enemy of the caterpillar. It could be that those of you who are farmers and have problems with caterpillars, instead of using chemical pests, can take advantage of Glyptapanteles wasps.

Glyptapanteles will look for caterpillars to be used as a place to lay eggs. Larvae will grow and develop in the caterpillar’s body. The caterpillar’s body will slowly be eaten by the larvae. Until finally the larvae reach a sufficient age to get out of the caterpillar’s body and turn into a cocoon. Turning into an adult wasp, the wasp’s life cycle will repeat itself.

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3. Dicrocoelium Dendriticum

There is a parasite that uses ants as its host. This parasite is called Dicrocoelium dendriticum. This parasite will infect the ant, causing the ant to eat the parasite. Like most parasites, Dicrocoelium dendriticum will completely control the ant’s body once it has entered its body.

The parasite will control the ants and take them to a very high place and settle there. If there are cows, sheep, or goats that eat the ants, the parasites will move. There is a possibility that the parasites will be transferred once a human has consumed beef, lamb, or goat that has been infected with the parasite. There is no danger that threatens if humans become infected with this parasite. Most just feel bad in the stomach.

 

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4. Polysphincta Gutfreundi

There are several types of wasp or wasp that are parasitic. This wasp will look for prey and use it as a place to lay eggs. One of the well-known types of parasitic wasp is called Polysphincta gutfreundi. This parasitic wasp usually attacks spiders. Maybe those of you who have a spider problem at home can keep this wasp as a predator.

The female Polysphincta gutfreundi will look for spiders to place eggs in. The wasp will render the spider helpless with its painful sting. Polysphincta gutfreundi will lay the eggs into the stomach of the spider. Once the larva is out, the larva will slowly eat the liquid that is in the spider’s body until it dies. The larvae of Polysphincta gutfreundi will control the spider to create a very strong web for the larvae to grow on.

After the spider dries and dies, the larvae will come out and stick to the web that has been made by the spider. The wasp larva will turn into a cocoon until it emerges into an adult wasp ready to repeat its life cycle.

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5. Vandellia Cirrhosa

The Amazon River is home to a number of amazing and terrifying animals. It’s not the piranha fish and giant anaconda snakes that you have to watch out for, but a fish called Vandellia cirrhosa that you must fear and avoid. This fish has a very small size so that it can easily enter the human urethra.

Candiru, that’s another name for this fish. Usually candiru will swim and stick to the gills of other fish to absorb its blood. But when it does not find fish, candiru can swim and stay in a person’s urethra. These fish are very attracted to human urine, so beware of those of you who happen to swim in the Amazon river. Once these fish have entered, the only way to remove them is surgery.

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6. Horsehair Worm

There are so many types of worms and most of them are parasites. Like the Horsehair worm, this worm is most often found living in insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and cockroaches. If you step on a cockroach and then come out of its body a long worm, it could be a Horsehair worm.

Horsehair worms will lay eggs and lay their eggs in the water. As soon as the eggs are broken, the larvae of the very tiny worms emerge and swim in the water. These larvae will later enter the insect’s body when the insects drink. The worm larvae will stay in the insect’s host body and suck the food juices from the host’s body. Once the host dies, the worms will exit the host’s body.

 

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7. Cymothoa Exigua

What will happen if your tongue is taken over by parasites? All the food that you eat, the nutrients will not enter the body but into the parasite? Long but sure, death will come. This is what a parasite called Cymothoa exigua does. This parasite usually attacks fish.

Cymothoa exigua belongs to the sea lice group. Because they cannot find their own food, Cymothoa exigua will look for their victims, namely fish. He will enter the mouth of the fish, suck blood, then replace the function of the fish tongue. Whatever the fish eat will be absorbed by Cymothoa exigua. When the fish die, they will look for other victims.

8. Toxoplasma Gondii

Toxoplamas gondii is not an alien parasite. This parasite is often found in cats. But how did these parasites get into the body of a cat? Toxoplasma is a brain-eating parasite. Initially this parasite will infect rodents such as mice. This parasite will enter the brain and control the habits of the mouse.

Rats infected with Toxoplasma will not be afraid of any animal, including cats. Instead of running, the mice will instead go to the cat to eat. It is at this moment that the Toxoplasma parasites change hosts. When these parasites reach the human body, Toxoplasma can make infected humans become habitual.

 

9. Sacculina Carcini

There is one type of parasite that commonly attacks crab animals. This parasite is named Sacculina carcini. Crabs that are often victims of Sacculina’s malignancy are green crabs that are often found on the shores of Western Europe and North Africa. Sacculina will use the crab as a place and guard from Sacculina eggs.

Female Sacculina will look for female crabs and then enter into the gap of her body. Sacculina will then merge with the crab’s reproductive system. If the crab that is being attacked is male, then Sacculina will manipulate her hormones to make it female. The male parasite will then fertilize it and turn the crab into a parasite factory. The crab will protect the parasite eggs like the mother protects her own child.

10. Cordyceps Fungi

There are mushrooms that can be used by humans to eat, some are not because they have life-threatening toxins. In the animal world, it is the same, there are fungi that can be used, some can actually take over or control the animal’s body and turn into a parasite. The fungus in question is the Cordyceps fungus.

The cordyceps fungus can enter the ant’s body and control the ant’s brain. After being taken over, the ant’s habits will change completely. This fungus will control the ants and keep them away from the ant colony. The ants who have become zombies will travel on their own and look for high places to die. Later, the fungus will grow from inside the ant’s body where the fungus will spread its spores to infect other animals.

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