''Lipocystis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of parasitic alveolates of the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; : phyla) is a level of classification, or taxonomic rank, that is below Kingdom (biology), kingdom and above Class (biology), class. Traditionally, in botany the term division (taxonomy), division has been used instead ...

Apicomplexa The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia; single: apicomplexan) are organisms of a large phylum of mainly parasitic alveolates. Most possess a unique form of organelle structure that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an ap ...

. Species in this genus infect

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

Taxonomy

This genus was created by Grell in 1938.Grell K G (1938) Untersuchungen an Schizogregarinen. I. ''Lipocystis polyspora'' n. g. m. sp., eine neue Schizogregarine aus dem Fettkörper von ''Panorpa communis'' L. Arch Protistenk 91:526-545 Grell observed the parasite during his work for his PhD thesis. The only recognised species in this genus is ''Lipocystis polyspora''.

Description

The life cycle of this parasite occurs within the fat body of the host. Transmission is via the oro-faecal route. The infective

sporozoite 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 organis ...

s are fusiform. Once ingested the sporozoites invade the wall of the gut ''en route'' to the fat body. After invasion the sporozoites enlarge into rounded micronuclear meronts (nuclear diameter = 1

micron The micrometre (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a uni ...

). This first round of

merogony 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 ...

produces

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 i ...

s with small nuclei which their turn become meronts. The second generation meronts produce two types of merozoites either with large nuclei which again give rise to merozoites or spheroidal gamonts. The gamonts enlarge and pair in syzygy. This pairing in its turn leads to the formation of multimucleate gametocytes. These gametocytes form gametes which are released and fuse. After gamete fusion a

zygote A zygote (; , ) is a eukaryote, eukaryotic cell (biology), cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individ ...

results. Within each zygote up to 200 navicular (boat like)

oocyst 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 ...

s may form. Each oocyst contains 8 sporozoites.

Host records

This species infects the scorpion fly (''

Panorpa communis ''Panorpa communis'', the common scorpionfly, is a species of scorpionfly. Distribution This species is native to Europe (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and European Russia) and Northern Asia ...

'').

References

Apicomplexa genera {{Apicomplexa-stub