Protozoan Parasite under the Microscope

OE (Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha) is a protozoan parasite that infects butterflies in the Danaus species group, those that host on milkweed. This photo of some Monarch butterfly abdominal scales was taken by Rob Wood with a Canon 80D DSLR through a Richter Optica HS-3 Biological microscope, at 400X. The large objects are scales, while the football-shaped objects are OE spores. Each spore contains 8 protozoa.

Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha under the HS-3 microscope.

Thank you Rob for sharing this photo with Microscope World!