Answer to Case 703

Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 703:  MaleAscaris lumbricoidesAs noted by Florida Fan, Dwight Ferris, and several others on Twitter and LinkedIn, we can tell that this is a male because of its curved tail. You can also see the characteristic mouthparts with 3 fleshy lips on the anterior end (if you zoom in quite a bit):Note that this is a freshly-passed specimen, and fresh specimens may have a red-pink color. Given the color and size, this specimen may also be mistaken for an earthworm. Sam noted that the current specimen " can be differentiated from an earthworm as it lacks a clitellum (which is seen in earthworms in a reproductive state). Also the mouth parts of Ascaris and earthworms widely differ, which can be observed under a microscope. "Thanks again to Idzi for this outstanding case!
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs