| Haemosporida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Haemoproteus ilanpapernai (Haemoproteidae) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | TSAR |
| Clade: | SAR |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Apicomplexa |
| Class: | Aconoidasida |
| Order: | Haemosporida |
| Families | |
TheHaemosporida (sometimes calledHaemospororida) are anorder ofintraerythrocyticparasiticalveolates.
Over 500 species are in this order, organised into four families: the Garniidae, the Haemoproteidae, the Leucocytozoidae, and the Plasmodiidae. The majority of the species lie within three genera:Haemoproteus,Leucocytozoon, andPlasmodium.
The Haemoproteidae and the Plasmodiidae both producepigment. These families have been placed in the suborder Laveraniina. Neither the Haemoproteidae nor the Leucocytozoidae have an asexual cycle in the peripheral blood. The Garniidae do not produce pigment, but do have an asexual cycle in the blood.
The taxa in detail are:
The genusMesnilium is the only group that infects fish. The genus has a single species and has been reported only once. IThis genus may have been mistakenly placed in this genus. DNA studies are likely to be needed to clarify this point.
Several genera infect mammals:Bioccala,Biguetiella,Dionisia,Hepatocystis,Plasmodium,Polychromophilus,Nycteria, andRayella.
The insect vectors ofHepatocystis,Plasmodium andPolychromophilus areCeratopogonidae,Culicidae, andNycteribiidae, respectively. The vectors ofNycteria andRayella are currently unknown.Bioccala also usesNycteribiidae as its insect vector.
Rayella is thought to have originated fromHepatocystis.[4][5]
Pirhemocyton although once thought to be a protozoan has since been shown to be intraerythrocyticinclusion bodies due to a viral infection.
Morrison has shown using molecular data that the Haemosporidia are nested within the gregarines and that this clade is distinct from the piroplasms.[6] This latter clade is a sister group of the coccidians.