Members of this species have a fusiform body. The apex bears a prominent winged spine. In valve view the cell will have one arched and one convex side.
Centers for Disease Control/Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria
EOL staff
Life cycle of Cyclospora cayetanensis When freshly passed in stools, the oocysts of Cyclospora cayetanensis are not infective (1), so direct fecal-oral transmission cannot occur (this is in contrast to what is seen with another important coccidian parasite, Cryptosporidium). In the environment (2), sporulation occurs after days or weeks at temperatures between 22 C and 32 C, resulting in the division of the sporont into two sporocysts, each containing two elongate sporozoites (3). Fresh produce and water can serve as vehicles for transmission (4) and the sporulated oocysts are ingested (in contaminated food or water) (5). The oocysts excyst in the gastrointestinal tract, freeing the sporozoites, which invade the epithelial cells of the small intestine (6). Inside the cells, they undergo asexual multiplication and sexual development to mature into oocysts, which will be shed in stools (7). Potential mechanisms of contamination of food and water are still under investigation.From Centers for Disease Control Parasites and Health website.
Drawing from Claparde & Lachmann 1858 (Plate 8, figure 5) of the species now known as Steenstrupiella steenstrupii as "Tintinnus steenstrupii". The scale bar reflects the text description (pg 200) as about 0.2 mm in overall length. The species (and now genus) was presumably named after the Danish biologist Japetus Steenstrup (1813-1897).
Forms of Favella ehrenbergii from the Etang de Thau near Montpellier, France in june 2012. The specimens were all found in samples from a mesocosm experiment (WarmAcid). They appear to be variants of Favella ehrenbergii.