l6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8l 



As regards hymenolepid tapeworms occurring in the Galliformes, 

 the intermediate hosts shift naturally to the insects, the Coleoptera 

 and Diptera standing close together in importance at this time. The 

 reports to date indicate that at least two tapeworms, Hymenolcpis 

 carioca and Choanotaenia infundihulum, can utilize members of both 

 of these insect groups as intermediate hosts, and that the beetle host 

 of C. infundibulmn will also' serve as a host of H. serpentulus, the lat- 

 ter usually a parasite of passeriform birds. The role of these insects 

 as intermediate hosts of tapeworms of galliform and passeriform 

 birds follows from their role as food for these birds and from the fact 

 that the beetles feed on excrement and the stable flies breed in straw 

 which is readily contaminated with excrement. Aside from anthropods, 

 the intermediate hosts of hymenolepids include such forms as earth- 

 worms and leeches. 



Stafford (1927) reports in a preliminary note that a number of 

 American amphibious insects serve as intermediate hosts for various 

 flukes and for hymenolepid tapeworms. The record of these tape- 

 worms in more definite form has not yet come to the attention of 

 the present writer. 



DAVAINIIDAE 



The known life histories of tapeworms of the Davainiidae cover 

 forms parasitic in birds and incriminate flies as intermediate hosts, 

 the common house fly being reported as the host for Davahiea tetra- 

 gona and D. cesticillus. The possible role of ants and grasshoppers 

 as intermediate hosts for D. friedhergeri is noted in the literature but 

 has only the value of a surmise and has not been included in the list 

 of hosts. Diptera would appear to be especially promising among the 

 arthropods as intermediate hosts of davainid tapeworms, but these 

 worms also utilize such intermediate hosts as snails and slugs, aside 

 from arthropods, and the total number of known life histories does 

 not warrant much generalization. 



AMABILIIDAE 



The only known life history for a tapeworm belonging in the Ama- 

 hiliidae is that for Tatria acanthorhyncha, and this involves the 

 Odonata or dragonflies as intermediate hosts. The only genera other 

 than Tatria assigned to this family by Ransom are Amabilia and 

 Schist otaenia, but until we have more information as to life histories 

 we cannot assume that the Odonata have special importance as inter- 

 mediate hosts in this family. In the one known life history, the dragon- 



