The life cycles of parasitic organisms like tapeworms and roundworms can be convoluted and bizarre. Some worms infect up to five different hosts in succession before reproducing! Long, multi-host life cycles are a paradox. Parasites risk not being transmitted between their obligate hosts and thus dying before reproducing. These parasites must also cope with multiple host physiologies and immune systems. Nonetheless, complex life cycles are the norm among parasitic worms. This interactive explores how parasitic worms grow as they traverse their life cycles. Click the buttons to display different subsets of parasites or types of hosts. Short explanations are below the plot.
More details about the database, as well as the data itself, can be found in
Benesh et al. 2017. Ecology.