Alternosema gen. nov.
Index Fungorum number:FN646503; Facesoffungi number: FoF
Type locality: Mexico.
Life cycle: The microsporidium is monoxenous, monomor- phic, develops in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm. Binary fission throughout the life cycle. Two merogonial cy- cles. The meronts of the first merogony and all the consequent developmental stages are diplokaryotic. The surface of the meront/sporont transitional stage is covered with a thick layer of electron-dense granules – future exospore. Spores are ovoid, with a thick endospore and a two-layered exospore. The latter is composed of granular material and thin electron-translucent structures.
Type host: Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae).
Etymology: Based on Nosema with the prefix Alter-, im- plying “other”.
Type species: Alternosema bostrichidis sp. nov.
Species