Ace the Bugs & Beyond Challenge 2026 – Dive Into Parasitology Success!

The distinguishing feature here is where the spine sits on the egg. Schistosoma mansoni eggs have a large spine on the side (a lateral spine), which is characteristic when you’re looking at eggs from fecal samples. Schistosoma haematobium eggs, on the other hand, have a spine at the tip of the egg (a terminal spine), a hallmark seen in eggs from urine samples. This difference in spine position is the key microscopic clue used to tell these two species apart.