Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy, 1856)

Nemátodo, Dog heartworm

Endoparasite

Parasitic roundworm of the pulmonary arterial system of canines. Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) microfilariae documented in Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) on Floreana Island in the 1980s.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Nematoda

Class
Secernentea

Order
Spirurida

Suborder
Spirurina

Superfamily
Filarioidea

Family
Onchocercidae

Genus
Dirofilaria

Species
immitis

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1980

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Contaminant

Subpathway: Parasites/pathogens on animals

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: No data

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Floreana, Isabela

References

  • Levy, J.K. Crawford, C., Lappin, M.R., Dubovi, E.J,. Levy, M.G., Alleman, R., Tucker, S.J. & Clifford, E.L. (2008) Infectious diseases of dogs and cats on Isabela island, Galapagos. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 22: 60-65.

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Dirofilaria immitis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=11687. Accessed 10 September 2025.