This is an illustration of the life cycle of Strongyloides stercoralis, the causal agent of Strongyloidiasis. The Strongyloides stercoralis life cycle is complex, alternating between free-living and parasitic cycles and involving autoinfection. In the free-living cycle: Rhabditiform larvae are passed in the stool of an infected definitive host image , develop into either infective filariform larvae (direct development) image or free-living adult males and females image that mate and produce eggs image , from which rhabditiform larvae hatch image and eventually become infective filariform (L3) slarvae image . The filariform larvae penetrate the human host skin to initiate the parasitic cycle (see below) image . This second generation of filariform larvae cannot mature into free-living adults and must find a new host to continue the life cycle.