''Fallisia'' is a genus of the family

Plasmodiidae The Plasmodiidae are a family of apicomplexan parasites, including the type genus ''Plasmodium'', which is responsible for malaria. This family was erected in 1903 by Mesnil and is one of the four families in the order Haemospororida. Diagnos ...

'' The genus was created by Lainson, Landau and Shaw in 1974. A revision of the genus ''Plasmodium'' by Levine in 1985 considered this subgenus to be a synonym of ''Plasmodium''. The description of a new species ''Plasmodium siamense'' by Telford in 1986 lead to a resurrection of this as a subgenus. Further revision of its taxonomic status has led to its elevation to genus status.

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in this genus infect

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s and lizards.

Diagnostic features

Species in this genus have the following characteristics: 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 and

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 found in the circulating leukocytes and thromobcytes. Pigment is absent.

Subgenera

There are two recognised subgena - ''Fallisia'' Telford 1998 and '' Plasmodiodes'' Gabaldon, Ulloa & Zerpa 1985. Species in ''Fallisia'' infect lizards and those in ''Plasmodiodes'' infect birds. Until confirmed by molecular methods this classification should be regarded as tentative.

Host distribution

These species infect lizards of the

Iguanidae The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana. Taxonomy Iguanidae is thought to be the sister group to the collared lizards (family Crotaph ...

and

Teiidae Teiidae is a family of autarchoglossan lizards native to the Americas. Members of this family are generally known as whiptails or racerunners; however, tegus also belong to this family. Teiidae is sister to the Gymnopthalmidae, and both famili ...

. They may also infect the Scincidae.

Distribution

These parasites are found in the

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

area.

References

Apicomplexa genera Haemosporida {{Apicomplexa-stub