Raillietina cesticillus

Raillietina cesticillus is a parasitic tapeworm of the family Davaineidae. Sometimes called "Broad-headed tapeworm", it infects the small intestine of chicken and occasionally other birds, such as guinea fowl and turkey, which are generally in close proximity to backyard poultry. It is a relatively harmless species among intestinal cestodes in spite of a high prevalence. In fact it probably is the most common parasitic platyhelminth in modern poultry facilities throughout the world.

It is readily distinguished from the other species of Raillietina. The body size is small, scolex is disproportionately large and uniquely shaped, rostellum is wide, and it employs beetles as intermediate host to complete its life cycle.