General rules for parasites:12,13
Genus and species are used most often, following the same rules for capitalization and italicization of the genus, and lowercase, italicized species.
Note: The classification of parasites includes the general, commonly encountered divisions (or phyla). Notice the microsporidia have been reclassified as fungi.
- Protozoa (amebae, flagellates, ciliates, sporozoans, and coccidia)
- Fungi (microsporidia)
- Platyhelminthes/flatworms (cestodes, trematodes)
- Acanthocephala (or thorny-headed) worms
- Nematoda or roundworms
- Arthropoda (e.g., insects, spiders, mites, ticks)
- Apicomplexa, Sporozoa (coccidia)
Examples: genus and species
- Entamoeba hartmanni
- Dientamoeba fragilis
- Naegleria fowleri
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Updated 2022, March 2). Scientific nomenclature. Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/page/scientific-nomenclature13. AMA Manual of Style Committee. (2020). AMA Manual of Style - A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/jama/9780190246556.001.0001
