On the development cycle and ultrastructure of Vavraia culicis Weiser, 1947 (microsporida, pleistophoridae) with comments on the taxonomy of the genus Vavraia Weiser, 1977

Vavraia culicis was studied using light and electron microscopy. The hosts were larvae of Anopheles gambiae collected in Senegal. Merogonial and sporogonial plasmodia had isolated nuclei. A thick amorphous coat was formed externally to the plasma membrane of the merogonial plasmodium, which developed into the envelope of the sporophorous vesicle. Division of merogonial and sporogonial plasmodia occurred by plasmotomy. Only one type of spores was produced. The polar filament was anisofilar. Meiosis was not observed.