''Plasmodium lepidoptiformis'' is a parasite of the 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 vert ...

''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. lepidoptiformis'' has both

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxon, taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with vertebral column, backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the ...

and

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are

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 ...

Description

This species was described by Telford and Telford in 2003.

Distribution

It is found in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

Hosts

The only known vertebrate host is the

Kentropyx calcarata ''Kentropyx calcarata'', commonly known as the striped forest whiptail, is a species of lizard endemic to South America.''Kentropyx calcarata'at the Reptile Database. Behavior ''Kentropyx calcarata'' commonly participate in communal nesting. ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5218719 lepidoptiformis