Haemoproteus lanii Mello, 1936

Paperna, Ilan, Keong, Malcolm Soh Chu & May, Charlotte Yap Aye, 2008, Haemosporozoan Parasites Found In Birds In Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sarawak And Java, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 211-243 : 222

Haemoproteus lanii Mello, 1936

(Table 6)

Lanius tigrinus Drapiez

Locality. – Singapore: Nee Soon, 1998,

Lanius cristatus Rüppell

Locality. – Malaysia: Cameron Highlands , Sep.2002 .

Type host. – Lanius schach , India. In Lan. tigrinus infection was intensive, comprising 70% macrogametocytes, 19.5% microgametocytes and 10.5 % immature gametocytes. In Lan. crystatus infection was scanty, only four macro- and one microgametocytes found. The gametocytes were 17.0–19.8 (cross 11.7–12.6) × 2.2–2.9 in size, and like in other hosts cause infected erythrocytes to expand (12.1–13.3 × 5.2–5.7 vs. uninfected 10.7 ± 0.41 × 6.5 ± 0.53) and displace the nucleus (NDR = 0.56–0.71).

Remarks. – Conforms to previous descriptions of Hae. lanii [from Lan. cullerio, Kurian Spit, in Valkiunas, 1990 and 1997 (2005)]. Gametocytes form some projections on their surface and in shape become gradually compact-stumpy as they age. They tightly embrace the erythrocyte nucleus, but appear never to completely enclose the nucleus, as described in the infections in other hosts. The macrogametocytes and particularly microgametocytes often radically displace the nucleus [not so evident in earlier described infections, e.g. Valkiunas, 1997 (2005)]. The macrogametocyte nucleus is median and apposed to the erythrocyte nucleus. The early gametocytes are located closer to the erythrocyte wall than the nucleus. With subsequent growth, they adjoin the erythrocyte nucleus. The pigment granules are medium and large in size, are fewer and larger than in past described infections, and become consolidated within a pigment dust enclave, where they may remain aggregated in some gametocytes.