Davaineidae

Davaineidae is the name of a family of tapeworms that includes helminth parasites of vertebrates.^[1] Of the 14 genera recorded under this family, Raillietina is the best understood and most extensively studied. Members of the family are characterized by the presence of a crown (rostellum) at the tip of the scolex, and the rostellum is made up of mattock- or hammer-shaped hooks. The rostellum is surrounded by suckers which are armed with spines.^[2] These tapeworms are most commonly found in birds, and in few cases, mammals, which are the definitive hosts. Intermediate hosts are small insects such as ants.^[3] Hosts of Davainea proglottina (length 1 – 4 mm), for example, are chickens. Slugs are the intermediate hosts.^[4]

Davaineidae
SEM of Raillietina tetragona
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Cestoda
Order:	Cyclophyllidea
Family:	Davaineidae Braun, 1900

Genera

• Calostaurus Sandars, 1957
• Cotugnia Diamare, 1893
• Davainea Blanchard, 1891
• Fernandezia Lopez-Neyra, 1936
• Fuhrmannetta Stiles & Orleman, 1926
• Houttuynia Fuhrmann, 1920
• Idiogenes Krabbe, 1868
• Ophryocotyle Friis, 1870
• Otiditaenia Beddard, 1912
• Paroniella Fuhrmann, 1920
• Paspalia Spasskaya & Spasskii, 1971
• Pseudidiogenes Movsesyan, 1971
• Raillietina Fuhrmann, 1920
• Skrjabinia Fuhrmann, 1920