Seven New species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Colubrid Snakes of Guatemala and a Discussion of What to Call Ellipsoid Tetrasporocystic, Dizoic Coccidia of Reptiles

Authors

• I. M. Asmundsson, United States Department of AgricultureFollow
• Donald W. Duszynski, University of New MexicoFollow
• J. A. Campbell, University of Texas at Arlington

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2006

Comments

Published in Systematic Parasitology (2006) 64: 91-103.

Abstract

During a survey of Guatemalan herpetofauna in the summers of 1998–2000, 29 presumed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 were found, seven of which have a distinct elongate-ellipsoidal shape (L/W ratio ≥ 1.7) and are described herein. Six of the seven new species are similar in oöcyst length, width and L/W ratio and sporocyst length, width and L/W ratio, lack a micropyle, oöcyst residuum, Stieda body, sub- and parastieda bodies, have a polar granule and sporocyst residuum, and their sporocysts appear to have dehiscence sutures. The seventh is slightly smaller and has sporocysts with a Stieda body. The new species are: E. coniophanes n. sp – whose sporulated oöcysts from Coniophanes fissidens are 29.2 × 14.9 (27-31 × 13-16) μm, with sporocysts 10.0 × 7.8 μm; E. coniophis n. sp. – from Conophis lineatus are 32.0 × 16.5 (30-34 × 14-18) μm, with sporocysts 10.2 × 8.9 μm; E. dryomarchoni n. sp. – from Drymarchon corais are 32.2 × 17.7 (31-34 × 17-19) μm, with sporocysts 10.7 × 8.6 μm; E. leptophis n. sp. – from Leptophis mexicanus are 29.5 × 17.0 (28-31 × 16-18) μm, with sporocysts 10.0 × 9.1 μm; E. oxybelis n. sp. – from Oxybelis aeneus are 31.8 × 16.5 (29-33 × 15-18) μm, with sporocysts 10.3 × 8.8 μm; and E. scaphiodontophis n. sp. – from Scaphiodontophis annulatus are 30.0 × 15.3 (28-33 × 14-16) μm, with sporocysts 9.9 × 7.9 μm. Sporulated oöcysts of E. siboni n. sp. from Sibon nebulata are 24.3 × 14.2 (21-27 × 13-16) μm, with sporocysts 10.0 × 7.1 μm and with a Stieda body. We conclude that until all aspects of each life-cycle are known, it is prudent at this time to name all tetrasporocystic dizoic coccidia from snakes as members of Eimeria rather than place some of them in Choleoeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989.