The endogenous development of two new species of Isospora (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from skinks

Two new species of Isospora are described from skinks, I. cryptoblephari n. sp. in Cryptoblepharus virgatus and I. delmae n. sp. in Delma nasuta, both collected in Australia. I. cryptoblephari oöcysts are ellipsoidal to subspherical, 17.5–22.5 × 25.0–30.0 m with two ovoid sporocysts, 9.0–10.0 × 12.5–14.0 m. I. delmae oöcysts are spherical to subspherical, 16.5–19.0 × 16.5–20.0 m with two ovoid sporocysts, 5.0–6.5 × 9.0–12.5 m. These species of Isospora had two sporocysts, each containing four sporozoites and a characteristic Stieda body. A study of endogenous stages in the host's intestine revealed that I. cryptoblephari develops in the nucleus and I. delmae in the cytoplasm of the host's gut epithelial cell. In the former, both merogony and gamogony occurred in the nucleus.