plasmodium atheruri plasmodium atheruri plasmodium atheruri is a species of the genus plasmodium subgenus vinckeia. as in all members of this genus, it is parasitic on vertebrate and insect hosts. the natural vertebrate host is the african porcupine (atherurus africanus) but it is possible to infect the large vesper mouse (calomys callosus) and meriones unguiculatus. plasmodium atheruri scientific classification domain: eukaryota clade: diaphoretickes clade: tsar clade: sar clade: alveolata phylum: apicomplexa class: aconoidasida order: haemospororida family: plasmodiidae genus: plasmodium species: p. atheruri binomial name plasmodium atheruriden berghe, peel, chardome and lambrecht, 1958 taxonomy this species was described in 1958 by den berghe, peel, chardome and lambrecht. description exoerythrocytic schizogony in this species usually lasts 4 to 6 days but occasionally schizonts have been found in the liver at day 8. two types of infection are recognised: an acute form characterised by large trophozoites, schizonts with 8 to 16 merozoites, gametocytes and infectivity to anopheles species; and a chronic form following the acute form by 15 to 21 days and which is characterized by small trophozoites and schizonts producing 4 merozoites. vectors anopheles machardyi anopheles smithii anopheles stephensi distribution this species is found in africa.