Blastocrithidia

See text Blastocrithidia is a genus of parasitic flagellate protist belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae.

[1] It is a monoxenous parasite of heteropteran insects,[3] mainly inhabiting their hindgut and glands.

[4] In addition to Blastocrithidia, one-host trypanosomatids from hemipteran and dipteran insects have been traditionally placed in genera Crithidia, Leptomonas, Herpetomonas, Rhynchoidomonas, and Wallaceina.

[5][6] Blastocrithidia is characterized by epimastigote morphological forms, whereas opisthomastigotes and endomastigotes are exclusive features of the genera Herpetomonas and Wallaceina, respectively.

[7] The etymology of the genus name Blastocrithidia derives from the two Ancient Greek words βλαστός (blastós), meaning "sprout, scion, child or descendant", and κριθίδιον (krithídion), meaning "small grain of barley".