David Modrý

New species of eimeriid coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from the Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus (Aves: Columbidae). Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria columbapalumbi sp. n. are ellipsoidal 24–17 × 18–15 µm. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. Sporocysts are broadly ellipsoidal, 11–16 × 6–7µm, with Stieda body. Substiedal body is absent. Sporocyst residuum is scattered, composed of hundreds of small granules. Sporozoites are elongate and slightly curved, each with two refractile bodies. There are two irregularly shaped polar granules present in the oocyst. The endogenous development takes place within the enterocytes of jejunum.

A new species of Isospora Schneider (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from captive Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Dryonastes courtoisi (Ménégaux, 1923) (Passeriformes: Timaliidae). Sporulated oocysts of Isospora courtoisii n. sp. are ellipsoidal 24.5 × 14.5 μm. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. Sporocysts are broadly ellipsoidal, 15.9 × 8.5 μm, with Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum is scattered composed of hundreds of small granules. Sporozoites are elongate and slightly curved, each with two refractile bodies. The nuclei of the sporozoites were not well discernible. Considering the critically endangered status of Dryonastes courtoisi and assumed high host specificity of described coccidium, also I. courtoisi can be classified as critically endangered organism.
 

A new species of isosporoid coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from captive Himalayan Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae). Sporulated oocysts of Isospora annthomassonae n. sp. are subspherical to slightly ellipsoidal 32.0 ± 1.5 × 29.4 ± 1.3 (30–35 × 27–31) μm. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are broadly ellipsoidal, 24.6 ± 1.4 × 12.9 ± 0.7 (22–28 × 12–14) μm, with Stieda and substiedal bodies. Sporocyst residuum is broadly ellipsoidal, 11.3 ± 0.8 × 9.5 ± 0.7 (9–13 × 8–11) μm, composed of hundreds of small granules. Sporozoites are elongate and slightly curved, each with two refractile bodies.

The genus Eimeria Schneider, 1875, comprises of > 1,000 described species, making it the most species-rich among coccidians. Within chelonian hosts, only 61 Eimeria spp. have been described to date, with the majority known from the New World. Yet, the Southeast Asia region has the highest turtle diversity in the world, from which only a few species have been discovered. Furthermore, the largest turtle family, Geoemydidae Theobald, 1868, has received little attention. In the past decade we examined samples from wild-caught geoemydid turtles from Southeast Asia and adjacent areas. Our work revealed considerable diversity of turtles’ coccidia and we describe six new species of Eimeria in this report. Eimeria surinensis sp. n. from Malayemys subtrijuga caught in Thailand possesses almost spherical oocysts (22.6 × 21.4), with spindle-shaped to ellipsoidal sporocysts pointed at both poles (13.4 × 6.9). Eimeria pangshurae sp. n. from Pangshura sylhetensis residing in India has ellipsoidal to spherical oocysts (16.5 × 13.2) and broadly-ellipsoidal to fl ask-shaped sporocysts (11.1 × 5.7), with a Stieda body frequently connected with two to four fi laments. Eimeria hynekprokopi sp. n. from Vietnamese Cuora galbinifrons has extremely thin-walled and fragile, elongated oocysts, and is a bit pointed at one pole (15.6 × 8.7), carrying ellipsoidal to broadly oval sporocysts (6.5 × 4.3). Eimeria zbatagura sp. n. from Batagur baska sampled in Singapore has tiny sub-spherical to broadly ellipsoidal oocysts (7.4 × 6.3 μm) with almost oval but relatively small sporocysts (5.5 × 3 μm). The broadly ellipsoidal, fragile oocysts of Eimeria petrasi sp. n. (22.9 × 18.6 μm) collected from Cyclemys dentata in the Philippines possess a wavy outer surface of the oocyst wall, and oval to ellipsoidal sporocysts (12.3 × 6.5 μm). Eimeria palawanensis sp. n. from Cyclemys dentata found in the Philippines has thin-walled and fragile spherical oocysts (14–17 μm wide), plus elongated, ellipsoidal sporocysts (12.6 × 5.8 μm). We also recorded Eimeria arakanensis Široky et Modry, 2006 from the new host species – Cuora fl avomarginata collected in China. Since many chelonians are critically endangered species, their parasite biodiversity will be lost following the collapse of their populations.

The Biology of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Snakes of the World: A Scholarly Handbook for Identification and Treatment, Donald W. Duszynski and Steve J. Upton, 430 pages, Illustrated. CreateSpace Inc., a DBA of On-Demand publishing LLC, an Amazon.com Company, Price $70.00 USD (https://createspace.com/3388533). ISBN: 1448617995.