plasmodium chiricahuae plasmodium chiricahuae plasmodium chiricahuae is a parasite of the genus plasmodium subgenus paraplasmodium. plasmodium chiricahuae scientific classification domain: eukaryota clade: diaphoretickes clade: tsar clade: sar clade: alveolata phylum: apicomplexa class: aconoidasida order: haemospororida family: plasmodiidae genus: plasmodium species: p. chiricahuae binomial name plasmodium chiricahuaetelford, 1970 like all plasmodium species p. chiricahuae has both vertebrate and insect hosts. the vertebrate hosts for this parasite are reptiles. description the schizonts rarely exceed the size of the nucleus of the cell and produce 4-10 merozoites. the gametocytes are large (3-6 times the size of the nucleus of an uninfected cell) and almost fill the erythrocyte. distribution this species is found in the south-western united states and probably also in northern mexico. hosts this species infects spiny lizards of the genus sceloporus.