''Plasmodium auffenbergi'' is a parasite of the genus ''

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a blood-feeding insect host which then injects parasites into a vert ...

'' subgenus ''

Carinamoeba ''Carinamoeba'' is a subgenus of the genus ''Plasmodium'' - all of which are parasitic unicellular eukaryotes. The subgenus was created in 1966 by Garnham.Garnham P.C.C. (1966) Malaria parasttes and other haemospordia. Oxford, Blackwell Species ...

''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. auffenbergi'' has both

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

and

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Telford in 2016 The meronts are cruciform or fan shaped. They measure 3.0 x 2.2 microns. They produce 2-5

merozoite 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. 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 spherical to ovoid and measure 4.7 x 3.9 microns. Male and female gametocytes do not differ in size or morphology.

Distribution

This species is found in the Philippines.

Hosts

This species infects the peacock monitor (''

Varanus auffenbergi The peacock monitor (''Varanus auffenbergi)'', also known commonly as Auffenberg's monitor, is a species of small monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species, which belongs to the subgenus ''Odatria'', is endemic to Rote Island, Indonesi ...

''). This lizard is also known as Auffenberg's monitor.

References

auffenbergi {{plasmodium-stub