Hematozoa and a new haemoproteid species from Cathartidae (New World vulture) in South Carolina

A survey of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) in South Carolina revealed the presence of a novel haemoproteid. Haemoproteus catharti n. sp. is described from the slides developed from the blood of this vulture. The new species is a thick, halteridial form with complete margins, and is considered distinct from the other recognized haemoproteids from the diurnal raptors in shape, pigment number, parasite outline, and host-family specificity. While reviewing blood films, a series of unusual immature schizonts of Plasmodium sp. were also observed, and these are illustrated, along with another distinct haemoproteid from old slides of poor quality produced from turkey vulture blood.     

Haematozoa of East African birds: II. Redescription of Haemoproteus centropi, a parasite of the Cuculidae

The avian haemoproteid, Haemoproteus centropi de Mello, a blood parasite found in members of the family Cuculidae, is redescribed from Clamator jacobinus Boddaert from Ngulia in Kenya. Haemoproteus froilanoi Tendeiro is considered to be a synonym of H. centropi. The reasons for this are discussed.     

Phylogeny,Diversity, Distribution,and Host Specificity of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) of Palaearctic Tortoises

A complex wide‐range study on the haemoproteid parasites of chelonians was carried out for the first time. Altogether, 811 samples from four tortoise species from an extensive area between western Morocco and eastern Afghanistan and between Romania and southern Syria were studied by a combination of microscopic and molecular‐genetic methods. Altogether 160 Haemoproteus‐positive samples were gathered in the area between central Anatolia and eastern Afghanistan. According to variability in the cytochrome b gene, two monophyletic evolutionary lineages were distinguished; by means of microscopic analysis it was revealed that they corresponded to two previously described species—Haemoproteus anatolicum and Haemoproteus caucasica. Their distribution areas overlap only in a narrow strip along the Zagros Mts. range in Iran. This fact suggests the involvement of two different vector species with separated distribution. Nevertheless, no vectors were confirmed. According to phylogenetic analyses, H. caucasica represented a sister group to H. anatolicum, and both of them were most closely related to H. pacayae and H. peltocephali, described from South American river turtles. Four unique haplotypes were revealed in the population of H. caucasica, compared with seven haplotypes in H. anatolicum. Furthermore, H. caucasica was detected in two tortoise species, Testudo graeca and Testudo horsfieldii, providing evidence that Haemoproteus is not strictly host‐specific to the tortoise host species.     

Hemoproteids (Apicomplexa: Haemoproteidae) from South African tortoises (Cryptodira: Testudinidae)

Terrestrial tortoises, Chersina angulata (Schweigger, 1812), Kinixys belliana belliana Gray, 1831, K. lobatsiana Power, 1927, K. natalensis Hewitt, 1935, and Stigmochelys pardalis (Bell, 1828), both wild (n = 84) and captive (n = 70), were examined for hematozoans from the provinces of Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, North West, and Western Cape, South Africa. In Giemsa-stained blood films, 2 species of hemoproteids were identified, 1 previously described, that is, Haemoproteus testudinalis ( Laveran, 1905 ) Wenyon, 1915, the other unknown. Haemoproteus testudinalis occurred in 2/27 wild K. lobatsiana and 1/41 S. pardalis and 2/2 captive K. lobatsiana from the North West and Gauteng, respectively, whereas Haemoproteus sp. A was recorded in 1 of 3 captive K. natalensis from Kwazulu-Natal. Haemoproteus testudinalis had pale blue-stained, often vacuolated, halteridial macrogametocytes, pale pink-stained microhalterdial to halteridial microgametocytes, and dark, scattered, often bacillus-like hemozoin granules. Haemoproteus natalensis n. sp. had ameboid growth stages, blue-stained halteridial to circumnuclear macrogametocytes, purple-stained circumnuclear microgametocytes, and brownish, often clustered, pigment granules. It is recommended that Haemoproteus balazuci Dias, 1953, become a junior synonym of H. testudinalis.     

Haemoproteus meleagridis Levine 1961: redescription and developmental morphology of the gametocytes in turkeys

Haemoproteus meleagridis Levine 1961 is redescribed and illustrated from material obtained from wild and domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Florida and Georgia. The mature gametocyte of this haemoproteid surrounds the erythrocytic nucleus, occupies 80 to 90% of the host-cell-parasite complex, and causes atrophy of the host cell's nucleus and hypertrophy of the host cell. The developmental sequence of H. meleagridis was studied critically. Following the entry of merozoites into the erythrocytes, they grew into halteridial and then circumnuclear forms. This was followed by a 10- to 13-day period during which trophozoites were not detectable by blood smear, and after which, the trophozoites returned to the peripheral circulation.     

Haemoproteids of the avian family Dicruridae (the drongos)

Dicrurids are a widespread avian family in Africa and Asia. Earlier surveys of this family in these areas have reported the presence of hematozoa and 1 species of Haemoproteus, i.e., Haemoproteus dicruri (De Mello, 1935). One species of drongo occurs in Madagascar and has not been examined previously. Blood smears collected from wild-caught crested drongos, Dicrurus forficatus, in Madagascar were examined using a compound microscope for the presence of hematozoa. A new species, Haemoproteus khani, is described in this study. This new species has circumnuclear gametocytes, in contrast to the halteridial H. dicruri. In addition, H. dicruri is reported for the first time from the crested drongo and is redescribed. This is the first report of hematozoa in drongos of Madagascar.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pterothominx</Emphasis> Freitas, 1959 (Nematoda: Capillariidae) parasitising psittacine birds (Psittaciformes)

A new species, Pterothominx (Pterothominx) moraveci n. sp. (Trichinelloidea: Capillariidae) is described from an Australian parrot, Barnardius zonarius Shaw (Psittacidae: Psittaciformes), imported from Germany and kept in captivity in the Czech Republic. Males of the new taxon differ from all other species of the subgenus Pterothominx Freitas, 1959, which mainly parasitise galliform birds, in having a shorter spicule (0.925–1.338; mean 1.050 mm), a shorter body length and a different form of armed spicular sheath and bursa. Females differ in having the smallest eggs (40–50 × 20–25; mean 48 × 23 μm) and in other morphometrical characters. From the species P. (P.) totani (Linstow, 1875), which parasitises charadriiform birds, the new species differs in its smaller number of stichocytes (females 42–46, mean 44; versus 50–54), different form of the bursa and praebursal alae, and other characters. This is the only species of Pterothominx that parasitises psittacine birds.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Huffmanela lata</Emphasis> n. sp. (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae: Huffmanelinae) from the shark <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos</Emphasis> (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhinidae) off New Caledonia

Huffmanela lata n. sp. is described from eggs only, which were found in a small black spot on the skin near the gill opening of a shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, caught off Nouméa, New Caledonia, South-West Pacific. The eggs are 77–88 (mean 84) μm in length and 52–63 (mean 57) μm in width, with a thick (6–8 μm) shell, apparently spinose. Mobile larvae, 200–250 μm in length, were visible in the eggs. The species is distinguished from other members of the genus by the dimensions and shape of its eggs, which are the broadest ever reported. This is the second species of Huffmanela described from a shark, after H. carcharhini (MacCallum, 1925), to which it appears closely related in terms of its site in the skin and the nature of the egg surface.     

Alcataenia atlantiensis n. sp. (Dilepididae) from the razorbill (Alca torda Linnaeus) in the eastern North Atlantic basin

A new species of Alcataenia is described from razorbills Alca torda Linnaeus from the southern region of the North Sea in the coastal waters of Belgium. It differs from known species of the genus in having 18–20 rostellar hooks measuring 63–74 m in length. Other attributes include a cirrus-sac 145–228 m in length, 36–49 testes and a vitelline gland measuring 114–202 × 59–112 m. This is the first species of Alcataenia described from razorbills and appears to be the only member of the genus which is endemic to the North Atlantic basin.     

A new species of larval Dasitrombium Zhang, 1994 (Acari: Prostigmata: Neothrombiidae) parasitic on grasshoppers fom Nicaragua

A new species of larval neothrombids, Dasitrombium clarissae (Acari: Prostigmata: Neothrombiidae), parasitic on grasshoppers from Nicaragua is described. Larvae have the following diagnostic features: Ta I 110–114, Ti I 48–52, Ta II 102–106, Ti II 44–48, Ip 1020–1054, ratio L/W 1.29–1.40, and the presence on genu I of only two solenidia.     

The haemoproteids (Apicomplexa: Haemoproteidae) of the flowerpeckers of the avian family Dicaeidae (Passeriformes)

The haemoproteids of the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae are reviewed. Two new species, Haemoproteus dicaeus and H. nucleophilus, are described. Haemoproteus nucleophilus appears to be endemic in the dicaeids endemic to the New Guinea archipelago.     

New species of Metepsilonema (Nemata,Epsilonematidae) from the Channel and the Mediterranean Sea with a polytomous key for the identification of species of the genus

Four new species of Metepsilonema are described from sublittoral stations from the Channel and are mainly characterized: M. volutum sp.nov. by the large body size for the genus up to 460 m, 118–121 well overlapping annuli and wide multispiral amphids; M. amphidoxum sp.nov. by 127–133 shortly overlapping annuli and sexual dimorphism in amphid size; M. comptum sp.nov. by 133–140 non-overlapping annuli, anteriormost annuli provided with a wide lumen and borders ornamented with ridges and M. corrugatum sp.nov. by 108–111 overlapping annuli provided with ridges). Additional information is provided for M. callosum together with a discussion on intraspecific variability. A new species of Metepsilonema spec. based on females only, is described but remain unnamed. M. comptum sp.nov. and M. corrugatum sp.nov. are also occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. A polytomous key to species level is presented.     

Altitudinal distribution of tropical planktonic Cladocera

The altitudinal distributions of planktonic Cladocera in Africa in three latitudinal bands: 0–10 °, 10–20 ° and 28–31 ° are described. Some species have altitudinal ranges of 2000 m within a latitudinal band of 10 °. It is possible to distinguish tropical species which do not extend up to high altitudes, particularly at higher latitudes. At the lowest latitudes, some species are found only at high altitudes, but occur at progressively lower altitudes with increasing latitude: Daphnia pulex and D. obtusa are good examples. A study in South America, with a smaller database, gives similar results.     

Population dynamics of Potamothrix alatus paravanicus Poddubnaya & Pataridze (Tubificidae) in different areas of Lake Sevan

Potamothrix alatus paravanicus Poddubnaya & Pataridze (Tubificidae) is the most abundant species of benthic invertebrate in Lake Sevan and the only species in the deep profundal. Differences in annual temperature, length of the stratification period (low oxygen content) and bottom sediment characteristics influence the population of P. a. paravanicus in different depth zones of Lake Sevan. From shallow to deep water a regular increase of the following indices was observed in 1984–1987: annual biomass from 1.2–2.0 to 8.2–17.0 g m^–2 wet weight; mean individual wet weight of clitellate specimens from 2.0–3.8 to 8.3–16.6 mg; total life span from one and a half to more than 20 years; the length of breeding season from 2–3 to 12 months.An important ecological distinction between P. a. paravanicus and allied Potamothrix hammoniensis (Michaelsen) is the much lower fecundity of the former species.     

Praon Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Southeastern Europe: key, host range and phylogenetic relationships

A review of species in the genus Praon Haliday, 1833 is presented. Twenty described species are keyed and illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. The Praon species presented in this work have been identified from 67 aphid taxa occurring on 120 plant taxa. Furthermore, 87 original parasitoid–aphid–plant associations of the species mentioned in the key are presented. Phylogenetic relationships among Praon species are reconstructed using parsimony and cladistic distance methods. Praon abjectum is the sister taxon to the remaining Praon species. We recognized three species group: “Parapraon”, “dorsale-yomenae” and “rosaecola”. Monophyly is suggested for “Parapraon” species group and paraphyly for “dorsale-yomenae” group. Finally, by phylogenetic reconstruction, a close phylogenetic relationship between “Parapraon” and “dorsale-yomenae” species group was found.     

Production of some oligochaete species in large Estonian lakes

The production of Potamothrix hammoniensis, Lamprodrilus isoporus, and Uncinais uncinata was estimated in the eutrophic lakes Peipsi-Pihkva and Vôrtsjärv. Growth characteristics of these species are briefly described. Calculated production values were 6–32 (P. hammoniensis), 19–79 (L. isoporus), and 1–4 kJ m² (U. uncinata), respectively. The annual P/B ratios for the same species were, 0.8–1.7, 2.5–4.8, and 4.4–5.4, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sanguinicola maritimus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from Labridae (Teleostei: Perciformes) of southern Australian waters

A new species of Sanguinicola Plehn, 1905 is described from the marine teleosts Notolabrus parilus (Richardson) and N. tetricus (Richardson) (Perciformes: Labridae) from Western Australian and Tasmanian waters. This host distribution is strikingly anomalous; however, the present material fulfils the morphological criteria of Sanguinicola. S. maritimus n. sp. differs from previously described species in having the combination of a body 1,432–1,701 μm long, the oesophagus 18.3–21.7% of the body length, the testis occupying 42.8–52.3% of the body length, an oviducal seminal receptacle and Mehlis’ gland present, ovoid eggs, and vitelline follicles that extend anteriorly past the nerve commissure, laterally past the lateral nerve chords and posteriorly to the anterior margin of the cirrus-sac. S. maritimus also lacks a protrusible anterior proboscis. It also differs in the combination of host and geographical location, being the first Sanguinicola species from a marine teleost and the first from Australian waters.