Transmission of C fasciculata primarily occurs when amastigotes, washed into standing water, are ingested by mosquito larvae.

Each molt of the larva results in loss of infection, but it is generally quickly re-acquired from the environment by ingestion of more amastigotes.

C. fasciculata is an example of a non-human infective trypanosomatid and is related to several human parasites, including Trypanosoma brucei (which causes African trypanosomiasis) and Leishmania spp.

As is common with parasitic species C. fasciculata requires a high nutrient content broth (including heme and folic acid) in which to grow under laboratory conditions.

Awadelkariem, FM; Hunter, KJ; Kirby, GC; Warhurst, DC (February 1995).

"The Effect of Tunicamycin on the Glucose Uptake, Growth, and Cellular Adhesion in the Protozoan Parasite Crithidia fasciculata".

Alcolea, Peter J.; Alonso, Ana; Garcia-Tabares, Francisco; Toraño, Alfredo; Larraga, Vicente (December 2014).

"An Insight into the Proteome of Crithidia fasciculata Choanomastigotes as a Comparative Approach to Axenic Growth, Peanut Lectin Agglutination and Differentiation of Leishmania spp.