Isospora ramphoceli, Berto, Bruno Pereira, Flausino, Walter, Luz, Hermes Ribeiro, Ferreira, Ildemar & Lopes, Carlos Wilson Gomes, 2010

Berto, Bruno Pereira, Flausino, Walter, Luz, Hermes Ribeiro, Ferreira, Ildemar & Lopes, Carlos Wilson Gomes, 2010, Isospora ramphoceli n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Brazilian tanager (Aves: Passeriformes: Thraupidae) Ramphocelus bresilius dorsalis Sclater, 1855, Zootaxa 2650, pp. 57-62 : 58-59

Isospora ramphoceli n. sp.

Type host: Brazilian tanager Ramphocelus bresilius dorsalis Sclater, 1855 (Aves: Passeriformes : Thraupidae ).

Type locality: Marambaia Island (23°04’S, 43°53’W), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Site of infection: Not investigated.

Type-material: One-half of the oocysts were kept in 10% aqueous buffered formalin (v/v) and the other half in 70% ethanol according Duszynski & Gardner (1991). Both samples were deposited in the Parasitology Collection, in the Department of Animal Parasitology, at UFRRJ, located in Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Phototypes and line drawings were deposited as well. The repository number is P-36/2009.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the generic name of the type host.

Description ( Figs 1 a–c; 2a–c)

Oocyst shape (n = 41) spherical to sub-spherical; oocyst wall bilayered; wall thickness 1.2 (1–1.5); outer wall smooth, c. 2/3 of total thickness; L × W = 23.7 × 22.8 (22–26 × 21–24), L/W ratio = 1.0 (1.0–1.1); M, PG and OR: absent. Sporocyst shape (n = 41) ellipsoidal or slightly ovoidal; L × W = 16.0 × 11.4 (14–18 × 10– 13); L/W ratio = 1.4 (1.3–1.6); SB present, knob-like, prominent, 1.0 high × 2.0 wide; SSB present, large, homogeneous, 2.5 high × 4.0 wide; PSB absent; SR present, composed of granules of different sizes; SZ vermiform with 1 posterior SRB and centrally located N.

Remarks. Isospora ramphoceli differs from other Isospora species from the same host (Table 1). In I. andesensis Templar, McQuistion & Capparella, 2004 , I. iridosornisi Metzelaars, Spaargaren, McQuistion & Capparella, 2005 , I. sepetibensis Berto, Flausino, Luz, Ferreira & Lopes, 2008 and I. silvasouzai Berto, Balthazar, Flausino & Lopes, 2009 all lack PG ( Templar et al. 2004; Metzelaars et al. 2005; Berto et al. 2008; 2009b).

Isospora thraupis Lainson, 1994 , I. marambaiensis Berto, Flausino, Luz, Ferreira & Lopes, 2008 , and I. navarroi Berto, Flausino, Luz, Ferreira & Lopes, 2009 have smaller SSB; I. cadimi Berto, Flausino, Luz, Ferreira & Lopes, 2009 has compartments within SSB; whereas in I. ramphoceli this structure is large and homogeneous (Table 1) ( Lainson 1994; Berto et al. 2008; 2009a).

Finally, I. tiesangui Berto, Flausino, Luz, Ferreira & Lopes, 2008, I. sanhaci Berto, Balthazar, Flausino & Lopes, 2009 and I. sayacae Berto, Balthazar, Flausino & Lopes 2009, all have a flattened SB, an elongated sporocyst and the SB is nipplelike ( Berto et al. 2008; 2009 b). In I. ramphoceli the SB is knob-like and sporocysts are ellipsoidal or slightly ovoidal.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Line drawings of Isospora ramphoceli n. sp., a new coccidium species recovered from the Brazilian tanager Ramphocelus bresilius dorsalis. (a) sporulated oocyst with its respective variations of (b, c) detached Stieda and substieda bodies. Scale-bar: 10 µm for oocysts; and 5 µm for Stieda and substieda bodies.