''Barrouxia'' is a genus of parasitic alveolates belonging to 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 ...

. This genus was created by Schneider in 1885.Levine ND (1983) The genera ''Barrouxia'', ''Defretinella'', and ''Goussia'' of the coccidian family Barrouxiidae (Protozoa, Apicomplexa). J Protozool 30: 542-547 The species in this genus infect invertebrates.

Taxonomy

Currently there are 10 species recognised in this genus. The original spelling of this genus was ''Barroussia''. This was changed in 1912 to ''Barrouxia''Schellack C (1912) Untersuchungen uber die coccidien aus Lithobius und Scolopendra (Barrouxia, Adelea, Eimeria). Verhandlungen der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft 22: 163-179Schellack C and Reichenow E (1913) Coccidien-Unteruschungen. I. ''Barrouxia schneideri''. Arbeiten aus dem Kaisereichen Gesundheitsamte, Berlin 44: 30-77 but occasionally authors may use the older spelling. The genus ''Echinospora'' was synonymised with ''Barrouxia'' by Levine in 1980.Some corrections of coccidian (Apicomplexa: Protozoa) nomenclature. Levine, N. D (1980) J Parasitol 66 (5) 830-834 DOI 10.2307/3280679

Life cycle

This species infects the gastrointestinal tract of

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, ...

s. The parasite infects the cells of the gut wall. The oocysts contain many sporocysts. The sporocysts are bivalved with a single longitudinal suture. Each sporocyst gives rise to a single

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 ...

. The mechanism of infection is via the orofaecal route.

Host records

*''B. ventricosa'' -

centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

(''

Lithobius hexodus ''Lithobius'' is a large genus of centipedes in the family (biology), family Lithobiidae, commonly called stone centipedes, common centipedes or brown centipedes. Description Most ''Lithobius'' species are typical representatives of the family L ...

'')

Notes

The genera ''Echinospora'' and ''Urobarrouxia'' are now regarded as a junior synonym of ''Barrouxia''.

References

Apicomplexa genera {{Apicomplexa-stub