The Haemosporida (sometimes called Haemospororida) are an order of intraerythrocytic 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 ...

Taxonomy

Over 500 species are in this order, organised into four families: the Garniidae, the Haemoproteidae, the Leucocytozoidae, and the Plasmodiidae. The majority of the species lie within three genera: ''Haemoproteus'', ''Leucocytozoon'', and ''Plasmodium''. The Haemoproteidae and the Plasmodiidae both produce

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compou ...

. These families have been placed in the suborder Laveraniina. Neither the Haemoproteidae nor the Leucocytozoidae have an asexual cycle in the peripheral blood. The Garniidae do not produce pigment, but do have an asexual cycle in the blood. The taxa in detail are: *Family Garniidae ** Genus '' Fallisia'' Lainson, Landau & Shaw 1974 *** Subgenus '' Fallisia'' *** Subgenus '' Plasmodioides'' Gabaldon, Ulloa and Zerpa 1985 ** Genus '' Garnia'' Lainson, Landau and Shaw 1971 ** Genus '' Progarnia'' Lainson 1995 *Family Haemoproteidae ** Genus '' Johnsprentia'' Landau, Chavatte & Beveridge 2012 ** Genus '' Haemocystidium'' Castellani and Willey 1904, emend. Telford 1996 ** Genus ''

Haemoproteus ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''Haima'', "blood", and ''Proteus'', a sea god who had the power of assuming different shapes. The name ''Haemoprot ...

'' Kruse 1890 *** Subgenus ''

'' *** Subgenus '' Parahaemoproteus'' Bennett ''et al'' 1965 ** Genus '' Paleohaemoproteus'' Poinar and Telford 2005 ** Genus '' Sprattiella'' Landau ''et al'' 2012 * Family Leucocytozoidae ** Genus ''

Leucocytozoon ''Leucocytozoon '' (or ''Leukocytozoon'') is a genus of parasitic alveolates belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa (which also includes the malaria parasites). The species of this genus use either blackflies ('' Simulium'' species) or a biting mi ...

'' Ziemann 1898 emend. Berestneff 1904, Sambon 1908 *** Subgenus '' Akiba'' *** Subgenus ''

'' * Family Plasmodiidae ** Genus '' Bioccala'' Landau ''et al'' 1984 ** Genus '' Biguetiella'' Landau ''et al'' 1984 ** Genus '' Billbraya'' Paperna and Landau 1990 ** Genus '' Dionisia'' Landau ''et al'' 1980 ** Genus '' Hepatocystis'' Miller 1908 ** Genus '' Mesnilium'' Misra, Haldar and Chakravarty 1972 ** Genus '' Nycteria'' Garnham and Heisch 1953 ** 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 ver ...

'' Marchiafava and Celli 1885 *** Subgenus '' Asiamoeba'' Telford 1988 *** Subgenus ''

Bennettinia ''Plasmodium juxtanucleare'' is a species of parasite in the family Plasmodiidae. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are birds. Description This species was first described in 1941 by Versiani and Gomes.Versiani, V. & Gomes, B. F. 1941 Sobre ...

'' Valkiūnas 1997 *** Subgenus '' Carinamoeba'' Garnham 1966 *** Subgenus '' Giovannolaia'' Corradetti, Garnham & Laird 1963 *** Subgenus '' Haemamoeba'' Grassi & Feletti 1890 *** Subgenus ''

Huffia Huffia is a subgenus of the genus ''Plasmodium'' - all of which are parasites. The subgenus was created in 1963 by Corradetti ''et al.''. Species in this subgenus infect bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting t ...

'' Garnham & Laird 1963 *** Subgenus '' Lacertaemoba'' Telford 1988 *** Subgenus ''

Laverania ''Laverania'' is a subgenus of the parasite genus ''Plasmodium''. Infection with these species results in malaria. The subgenus was first described in 1958. The name was first proposed by Welch in 1897 as a genus name for the group now known as ...

'' Bray 1963 *** Subgenus '' Novyella'' Corradetti, Garnham & Laird 1963 *** Subgenus '' Nyssorhynchus'' Poinar 2005 *** Subgenus '' Ophidiella'' Garnham 1966 *** Subgenus '' Papernaia'' Landau ''et al'' 2010 *** Subgenus ''

Paraplasmodium ''Paraplasmodium'' is a subgenus of the genus ''Plasmodium'' - all of which are parasitic eukaryotes. The subgenus was created by Telford in 1988. Species in this subgenus infect lizards. Species *''Plasmodium chiricahuae'' *''Plasmodium mexic ...

'' Telford 1988 *** Subgenus ''

'' Bray 1963 emend. Garnham 1964 *** Subgenus '' Sauramoeba'' Garnham 1966 *** Subgenus '' Vinckeia'' Garnham 1964 ** Genus '' Polychromophilus'' Landau ''et al'' 1984 ** Genus '' Rayella'' Dasgupta 1967 ** Genus '' Saurocytozoon'' Lainson and Shaw 1969 ** Genus †''

Vetufebrus ''Vetufebrus'' is an extinct genus of haemospororida in the family Plasmodiidae. At the time of its description the new genus comprised a single species ''Vetufebrus ovatus'' known from a single Miocene Dominican amber fossil found on Hispa ...

'' Poinar 2011

Note

The genus ''Mesnilium'' is the only group that infects fish. The genus has a single species and has been reported only once. IThis genus may have been mistakenly placed in this genus. DNA studies are likely to be needed to clarify this point. Several genera infect mammals: ''Bioccala'', ''Biguetiella'', ''Dionisia'', ''Hepatocystis'', ''Plasmodium'', ''Polychromophilus'', ''Nycteria'', and ''Rayella''. The insect vectors of ''Hepatocystis'', ''Plasmodium'' and ''Polychromophilus'' are

Ceratopogonidae Ceratopogonidae is a family of flies commonly known as no-see-ums, or biting midges, generally in length. The family includes more than 5,000 species, distributed worldwide, apart from the Antarctic and the Arctic. Ceratopogonidae are holomet ...

Culicidae Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...

, and

Nycteribiidae Nycteribiidae is a family of the true fly superfamily Hippoboscoidea are known as "bat flies", together with their close relatives the Streblidae. As the latter do not seem to be a monophyletic group, it is conceivable that bat flies cannot be u ...

, respectively. The vectors of ''Nycteria'' and ''Rayella'' are currently unknown. ''Bioccala'' also uses

as its insect vector. ''Rayella'' is thought to have originated from ''Hepatocystis''.

Other genera that may be related

*'' Chelonplasma'' '' Pirhemocyton'' although once thought to be a protozoan has since been shown to be intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies due to a viral infection.

Phylogenetics

Morrison has shown using molecular data that the Haemosporidia are nested within the gregarines and that this clade is distinct from the piroplasms. This latter clade is a sister group of the coccidians.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4135179 Apicomplexa orders