Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of
Date of this Version
6-1990
Abstract
Fecal samples of 14 Conolophus subcristatus from Isla Plaza Sur and of 24 Tropidurus delanonis from Isla Española and several satellite islets, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, collected during June and July 1987 were examined for coccidian oocysts. None of the samples from C. subcristatus contained oocysts, but 11 of 24 (46%) samples from T. delanonis had oocysts when examined. Two Eimeria and 1 Isospora spp. were present, which we describe here as new species. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tropidura n. sp. are ellipsoidal, 32.5 x 23.8 (21-38 x 19-30) μm, with spheroidal to subspheroidal sporocysts, 8.2 x 7.9 (7-10 x 5-10) μm. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria galapagoensis n. sp. are cylindroidal, 32.8 x 14.0 (27-36 x 12-17) μm, with spheroidal sporocysts 7.5 (7.5) μm. Sporulated oocysts of Isospora insularius n. sp. are spheroidal to subspheroidal, 24.5 x 22.3 (19-30 x 18-27) μm, with lemon-shaped sporocysts, 16.6 x 9.3 (9-17 x 7-13) μm. Each of the 11 positive fecal samples had oocysts of only 1 coccidian species, i.e., the different coccidian species did not share individual hosts.
Comments
Published in the Journal of Parasitology (June 1990) 76(3): 313-318. Copyright 1990, the American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.