''Plasmodium mexicanum'' 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 ...

'' subgenus '' Paraplasmodium''. Like all ''Plasmodium'' species ''P. mexicanum'' 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 reptiles.

Taxonomy

The parasite was first described by Thompson and Huff in 1944.Thompson P.E. and Huff C.G. (1944) Saurian malaria parasites of the United States and Mexico. J. Inf. Dis. 74:68–79.

Distribution

This parasite is found in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

, United States.

Hosts

This parasite infects the '' Sceloporus ferraripezi'', ''

Sceloporus horridus ''Sceloporus horridus'', the horrible spiny lizard, rough lizard, or southern rough lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Gallery Chintete (14133882356).jpg, Displaying male Lagartija (17352446 ...

'', '' Sceloporus microlepidotus'', western fence lizard ('' Sceloporus occidentalis''), ''

Sceloporus pyrocephalus ''Sceloporus pyrocephalus'', the boulder spiny lizard or red-headed spiny lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. It is endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country ...

'', '' Sceloporus variabilis'', '' Scleroporus torquatus torquatus'' and the tree lizard (''

Urosaurus ornatus ''Urosaurus ornatus'', commonly known as the ornate tree lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species, which was formerly called s ...

'').French S.S., Fokidis H.B., Moore M.C. 2008. Variation in stress and innate immunity in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) across an urban-rural gradient. J Comp Physiol This species is unusual in being able to undergo normal sporogony in psychodid flies ('' Lutzomyia stewarti'' and '' Lutzomyia vexatrix'').

Taxonomy

Distribution

Hosts

References

Further reading