''Plasmodium melanipherum'' is a parasite of the genus '' Plasmodium'' subgenus ''

Vinckeia ''Vinckeia'' is a subgenus of the genus ''Plasmodium'' — all of which are parasitic alveolates. The subgenus ''Vinckeia'' was created by Cyril Garnham in 1964 to accommodate the mammalian parasites other than those infecting the primates. Dia ...

''. As in all ''Plasmodium'' species, ''P. melanipherum'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Dionisi in 1899. A subspecies (''P. melanipherum monosoma'') was later described by Vassal in 1907. ''P. melanipherum'' was described to resemble '' Plasmodium malariae''.

Distribution

''P. melanipherum'' has only been described in Central Africa.

Hosts

''P. melanipherum'' infects Schreibers' bat (''

Miniopterus schreibersii The common bent-wing bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii''), also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout ...

''). ''P. melanipherum monosoma'' infects the bat '' Vesperugo abramus''. It is not known if these parasites cause disease in their bat hosts.

References

melanipherum {{plasmodium-stub