''Chagasella'' is a genus 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 insects of the order

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

and of the family Termitoidae.

Taxonomy

Two species are recognised in this genus.

Description

The species in this genus are parasitic in

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

s. These parasite appear to be spread via the orofaecal route and infect the gastrointestinal tract and salivary glands of the insect host. They form ovoid

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 in the gut wall. There are three sporocysts per oocyte and 4-6 (possibly more) sporozoites per sporocyst. The merozoites are

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

shaped. The spores are not confined by an oocyst membrane. Gibbs in 1944 showed that after the first division of the zygote nucleus in the oocyst, only one of the two daughter nuclei divides.Gibbs AJ (1944) ''Chagasella'' sp. (Protozoa, Coccidia) found in the salivary glands of ''Cenaeus carnifex'' Fabr. (Insecta, Hemiptera). S. African J. Med. Set. (Biol. Sup pi.) 9, 55-62 This differential division, by analogy with '' Adelina deronis'', may indicate maleness for the nucleus that divided and femaleness for the one that does not.

Host records

* '' Amitermes'' species * '' Cenaeus carnifex''

References

Apicomplexa genera {{Apicomplexa-stub