Leishmania mexicana parasites in the promastigote stage, SEM

Pseudo-coloured scanning electron micrograph of Leishmania mexicana parasites. Leishmania mexicana is a unicellular eukaryotic parasite, and is one of the species of Leishmania that causes the disease Leishmaniasis. It is sometimes called the "flesh eating parasite" because of the skin lesions it can cause. These cells are in the promastigote life cycle stage; the life cycle stage normally found in the gut of sand flies. Leishmania parasites are transmitted through the bite of an infected sand fly. Each parasite is 6-12 micrometres long and 2-3 micrometres wide.