''Fallisia'' is a genus of the family Plasmodiidae'' The genus was created by Lainson, Landau and Shaw in 1974. A revision of the genus ''Plasmodium'' by Levine in 1985 considered this subgenus to be a synonym of ''Plasmodium''. The description of a new species ''Plasmodium siamense'' by Telford in 1986 lead to a resurrection of this as a subgenus. Further revision of its taxonomic status has led to its elevation to genus status.

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in this genus infect

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s and

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...

Diagnostic features

Species in this genus have the following characteristics: The

schizont 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 is ...

s and

gametocyte A gametocyte is a eukaryotic germ cell that divides by mitosis into other gametocytes or by meiosis into gametids during gametogenesis. Male gametocytes are called '' spermatocytes'', and female gametocytes are called '' oocytes''. Developme ...

s are found in the circulating

leukocyte White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from mul ...

s and thromobcytes. Pigment is absent.

Subgenera

There are two recognised subgena - ''Fallisia'' Telford 1998 and '' Plasmodiodes'' Gabaldon, Ulloa & Zerpa 1985. Species in ''Fallisia'' infect lizards and those in ''Plasmodiodes'' infect birds. Until confirmed by molecular methods this classification should be regarded as tentative.

Host distribution

These species infect lizards of the

Iguanidae The Iguanidae is a family of lizards composed of the iguanas, chuckwallas, and their prehistoric relatives, including the widespread green iguana. Taxonomy Iguanidae is thought to be the sister group to the collared lizards (family Crotaph ...

and Teiidae. They may also infect the Scincidae.

Distribution

These parasites are found in the

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bi ...

area.

References

Apicomplexa genera Haemosporida {{Apicomplexa-stub