Nephridiophaga spores are small, flattened ovals that resemble a
red blood cell. Each spore contains a single nucleus and may have an inconspicuous, central opening. Spores are ingested by insects. Once inside the host, spores germinate, though whether in the gut or elsewhere is not known.
Plasmodia inhabit and feed on Malpighian tubule cells where they are in direct contact with the
cytoplasm. Multi-nucleate plasmodia are eventually released into the lumen, some attach to the brush border of the tubule cells using
pseudopodia that interdigitate with the
microvilli of the cells. Other plasmodia form merozoite-like cells. Plasmodia released into the lumen form sporoblasts internally with a spore wall enclosing each nucleus. Sporoblasts can be asexual or sexual. Asexual sporoblasts are formed from a type of closed
mitosis with chromosomes un-condensed and spindle poles remaining un-connected to the nuclear envelope, which is a common form of mitosis for fungi. Sexual sporoblasts are formed after the fusion of
meiotic nuclei; however, the details of meiosis and fusion are not known, and the phenomenon is doubted by some authors. Spores are excreted from the insect in its
feces. ==Taxonomy==