Eimerians from Different Karyotypes of the Japanese Wood Mouse (Apodemus spp.), with Descriptions of Two New Species and a Redescription of Eimeria montgomeryae Lewis and Ball, 1983

Authors

• Constance D. Wash, University of New Mexico
• Donald W. Duszynski, University of New MexicoFollow
• Terry L. Yates, University of New Mexico

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

12-1985

Comments

Published in the Journal of Parasitology (December 1985) 71(6): 808-814. Copyright 1985, the American Society of Parasitologists. Used by permission.

Abstract

Examination of 131 wood mice (Apodemus spp.) representing 2 species and 6 subspecies collected from the Japanese islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Tsushima showed that 70 mice (53%) had coccidian oocysts in their feces. These included 21 of 42 (50%) Apodemus argenteus argenteus; 7 of 14 (50%) Apodemus argenteus hokkaidi; 2 of 3 (67%) Apodemus argenteus sagax; 3 of 9 (33%) Apodemus speciosus ainu; 36 of 61 (59%) Apodemus speciosus speciosus; and 1 of 2 (50%) Apodemus speciosus tusimaensis. Four distinct coccidians were identified: Eimeria argenteus n. sp. from A. a. argenteus, A. a. hokkaidi, A. a. sagax, and A. s. speciosus; Eimeria inuyamensis n. sp. from A. a. argenteus, A. s. speciosus, and A. s. tusimaensis; Eimeria montgomeryae Lewis and Ball, 1983, from A. a. argenteus, A. a. hokkaidi, A. a. sagax, A. s. ainu, and A. s. speciosus; and Eimeria uptoni Lewis and Ball, 1983, from A. a. argenteus, A. a. hokkaidi, and A. s. speciosus.

Standard karyotypes were prepared from selected specimens of each host subspecies. All 3 subspecies of A. argenteus and A. s. tusimaensis have a 2n = 46; A. s. ainu, from Hokkaido, has a 2n = 48; and A. s. speciosus has at least 2 chromosomal races, 1 on northern (2n = 48) and 1 on southern (2n = 46) Honshu. Both chromosomal races of A. s. speciosus, as well as the other subspecies of Apodemus examined, shared their coccidian parasites freely.