The capybara or greater capybara is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent and a member of the genus Hydrochoerus. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara. Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.
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 vertebrate host during a blood meal. Parasites grow within a vertebrate body tissue before entering the bloodstream to infect red blood cells. The ensuing destruction of host red blood cells can result in malaria. During this infection, some parasites are picked up by a blood-feeding insect, continuing the life cycle.
Microsporidia are a group of spore-forming unicellular parasites. These spores contain an extrusion apparatus that has a coiled polar tube ending in an anchoring disc at the apical part of the spore. They were once considered protozoans or protists, but are now known to be fungi, or a sister group to fungi. These fungal microbes are obligate eukaryotic parasites that use a unique mechanism to infect host cells. They have recently been discovered in a 2017 Cornell study to infect Coleoptera on a large scale. So far, about 1500 of the probably more than one million species are named. Microsporidia are restricted to animal hosts, and all major groups of animals host microsporidia. Most infect insects, but they are also responsible for common diseases of crustaceans and fish. The named species of microsporidia usually infect one host species or a group of closely related taxa. Approximately 10 percent of the species are parasites of vertebrates —several species, most of which are opportunistic, can infect humans, in whom they can cause microsporidiosis.
Plasmodium brygooi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Lacertamoeba.
Plasmodium cyclopsi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia.
Plasmodium joyeuxi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. As in Plasmodium species, P. joyeuxi has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium melanipherum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. As in all Plasmodium species, P. melanipherum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium gundersi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Giovannolaia.
Plasmodium pessoai is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium. As in all Plasmodium species, P. pessoai has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
Plasmodium giganteum is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba. As in all Plasmodium species, P. giganteum has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
Plasmodium polare is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Papernaia.
Plasmodium uilenbergi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. As in all Plasmodium species, P. uilenbergi has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium percygarnhami is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. As in all Plasmodium species, P. percygarnhami has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium josephinae is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Sauramoeba. It was described in 1967 by Peláez. As in all Plasmodium species, P. josephinae has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles.
Plasmodium georgesi is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Plasmodium.
Plasmodium landauae is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. As in all Plasmodium species, P. landauae has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium pulmophilium is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium subgenus Vinckeia. Like all Plasmodium species, P. pulmophilium has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals.
Plasmodium neusticuri is a parasite of the genus Plasmodium.
Plasmodium cynomolgi is an apicomplexan parasite that infects mosquitoes and Asian Old World monkeys. In recent years, a number of natural infections of humans have also been documented. This species has been used as a model for human Plasmodium vivax because Plasmodium cynomolgi shares the same life cycle and some important biological features with P. vivax.
