Fine Structure and Life Cycle of Lankesteria clarki sp. n. (Sporozoa: Eugregarinida) Parasitic in the Mosquito Aedes sierrensis (Ludlow)

Lankesteria clarki sp. n. from the treehole mosquito, Aedes sierrensis (Ludlow) in California, is described. This species can be separated from the closely related ones, L. culicis (Ross) and L. barretti Vávra, by the totally intracellular nature of the trophozoite, the shape of the gamont, the position of the gamont nucleus and the structure and position of the residual body in the spore. Morphologic and ultrastructural investigations of gametogenesis and sporogony were conducted and the host relationship discussed. Lankesteria clarki was found in mosquitoes collected from all treeholes examined near Novato in Marin County, California and an examination of over 6,000 larvae of A. sierrensis showed an infection rate of 27.5%. The parasite is capable of destroying the midgut epithelial cells during its trophic stage and Malpighian tubule cells during gametogenesis and sporogony.