Herpetomonas

Herpetomonas

(her'pĕ-tom'ŏ-năs), A genus of asexual monogenetic flagellates (family Trypanosomatidae) that are strictly insect parasites, with a variety of body forms including promastigote (leptomad), epimastigote (crithidial), amastigote (leishmanial), and trypomastigote (trypanosome-like); infective forms are passed in the host feces. Herpetomonas muscae domesticae, the type species, is found in the common housefly. [G. herpeton, a reptile (fr. herpō, to creep), + monas, unit (one of the Monadidae)]