The life history of Pleurogenoides orientalis (Srivastava, 1934) (Trematoda: Lecithodendriidae).

The life history of Pleurogenoides orientalis (Srivastava 1934), a lecithodendriid trematode of frogs in India is reported and stages in the life history are described. Natural infections with cercariae, which are virgulate xiphidiocercous type, were found in the prosobranch snail Alocinma travancorica. Metacercarial cysts were found in dragon-fly naiads (Tholymis tillarga and Tramea limbata) and aquatic bugs (Laccotrephes griseus and Ranatra elongata) collected from a stream. Adults occurred in the intestine of the pong frog, Rana cyanophlyctis. Laboratory reared A. travancorica fed with eggs of P. orientalis started shedding cercariae from 30 days post feeding. Development of cercariae into infective metacercariae in dragon-fly naiads took 18 days. Mature flukes were recovered from the intestine of experimentally infected R. cyanophlyctis. The entire life cycle from egg to egg producing adult takes 2 1/2 to 3 months.