Crithidia

A genus of asexual, monogenetic, insect-parasitizing flagellates in the family Trypanosomatidae. [Mod. L., fr. G. krithidion, dim. of krithe, barley]

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cri·thid·ia krə-'thid-ē-ə n

1) cap a genus of flagellates of the family Trypanosomatidae that are exclusively parasites of invertebrates esp. in the digestive tract of insects and that occur typically as elongated forms morphologically like trypanosomes but pass through developmental stages all in a single host in which they are indistinguishable from typical leptomonas and leishmanias

2 a) any flagellate of the genus Crithidia

b) any flagellate of the family Trypanosomatidae when exhibiting a typical form of a crithidia

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Cri·thid·ia (krĭ-thidґe-ə) [Gr. krithē barleycorn] a genus of parasitic protozoa of the order Kinetoplastida, phylum Euglenozoa, found in the digestive tract of arthropods. They are monogenetic, with the choanomastigote stage dominant in their life cycle.