# Heartworm (*Dirofilaria immitis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/heartworm  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a worm in the phylum Nematoda, classed in the subfamily Dirofilariinae of the order Rhabditida. It belongs to the class Chromadorea and the suborder Spirurina, within the genus Dirofilaria. Other English names for it are Cruel worm, Dog heartworm and Dog Cardiac worm. The scientific name carries the authority (Leidy, 1856) Railliet & Henry, 1911.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 3 countries. Introduced: Canary Islands, Ecuador, South Africa. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Nematoda
- class: Chromadorea
- order: Rhabditida
- genus: Dirofilaria
- species: *Dirofilaria immitis* (Leidy, 1856) Railliet & Henry, 1911

Synonyms: *Filaria immitis*, *Filaria papillicauda*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the heartworm?

The heartworm is a worm in the phylum Nematoda. It is placed in the order Rhabditida and the subfamily Dirofilariinae.

### What is the scientific name of the heartworm?

The scientific name of the heartworm is Dirofilaria immitis, in the genus Dirofilaria.

### What other names does the heartworm have?

The heartworm is also called Cruel worm, Dog heartworm and Dog Cardiac worm.

### Who named Dirofilaria immitis?

The authority for Dirofilaria immitis is written as (Leidy, 1856) Railliet & Henry, 1911.

### What class and suborder does the heartworm belong to?

The heartworm belongs to the class Chromadorea and the suborder Spirurina.

### Is the heartworm an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the heartworm as introduced in 3 countries: Canary Islands, Ecuador and South Africa, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/heartworm