Microsporidia are obligately pathogenic, single-celled, eukaryotic organisms of which nearly 1,000 species have been described, over 700 from insect hosts. Lacking mitochondria, centrioles, peroxisomes and classical Golgi bodies, and possessing a nonmotile amoeba-like vegetative form, microsporidia were considered until recently to be primitive members of the Protozoa. Molecular analyses, however, have determined that the group possesses several gene sequences that suggest a close relationship to the fungi.
The first microsporidium studied was the causal agent of “pebrine disease” of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.), a disease that nearly caused the demise of the silk industry in France in the 1860s. Louis Pasteur recognized the infectious nature of the disease and developed a screening technique to rid the industry silkworm colonies of the pathogen. The microsporidium was later described as Nosema bombycis Naegli, the type species of the well-known genus Nosema.
Microsporidia infect all...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Becnel JJ, Andreadis TG (1999) Microsporidia in insects. In: Wittner M, Weiss LM (eds) The microsporidia and microsporidiosis. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, pp 447–501
Boucias DG, Pendland JC (1998) Principles of insect pathology. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA, 537 pp
Undeen AH, Vavra J (1997) Research methods for entomopathogenic protozoa. In: Lacey L (ed) Manual of techniques in insect pathology. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, pp 117–151
Bulla LA Jr, Cheng TC (1977) Comparative pathobiology, vol 2: Systematics of microsporidia. Plenum Press, New York, NY, 510 pp
Tanada Y, Kaya HK (1993) Insect pathology. Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, CA, 666 pp
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Solter, L.F. (2008). Microsporidia (Phylum Microsporida). In: Capinera, J.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Entomology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6_4608
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6359-6_4608
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6242-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-6359-6
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences