''Dionisia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of parasitic

alveolates The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major clade and superphylum within Eukarya. They are currently grouped with the stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristate mitochond ...

belonging to the phylum

Apicomplexia The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia) are a large phylum of parasitic Alveolata, alveolates. Most of them possess a unique form of organelle that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an apicoplast, and an apical complex stru ...

. The type species of this genus is ''Dionisia bunoi''.

Taxonomy

The

was described by Landau ''et al.'' in 1980.

Description

The

gametocyte A gametocyte is a eukaryotic germ cell that divides by mitosis into other gametocytes or by meiosis into gametids during gametogenesis. Male gametocytes are called ''spermatocytes'', and female gametocytes are called ''oocytes''. Development ...

s are sexually dimorphic with the macrogametocytes being of the 'falciparum' type and the microgametocyte of the 'malariae' type. The

schizont Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism is ...

s develop in the lumen of the

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

blood vessels inside a greatly hypertrophied host cell. They remain moderate in size and their cytoplasm is not intensely basophilic as is usually in the young stages of other mammalian

Haemosporidia Haemosporidiasina (Haemosporidia) is a subclass of apicomplexans described by Jacques Euzéby in 1988.Euzéby, J. (1988) Comparative Medical Protozoology, Vol. 3: Apicomplexa, 2: Haemosporidioses, Part 1: Plasmodiids, Haemoproteids, "Piroplasms" ...

Hosts

The only known host of these parasites is the cyclops roundleaf bat (''

Hipposideros cyclops The cyclops roundleaf bat or cyclops leaf-nosed bat (''Doryrhina cyclops'') is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in the forests of equatorial Africa. Description Cyclops roundleaf bats are relatively small, with adults rangin ...

'').

Geographical location

These parasites are found in Gabon, Africa.

References

Apicomplexa genera Parasites of bats Haemosporida {{Apicomplexa-stub