Isospora courtoisi, Jamriška & Barbón & Modrý, 2013

Jamriška, Ján, Barbón, Alberto Rodríguez & Modrý, David, 2013, A New Species of Isospora Schneider, 1881 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Dryonastes courtoisi (Passeriformes: Timaliidae), Acta Protozoologica 52 (2), pp. 99-103 : 100-101

Isospora courtoisi n. sp.

Description of the oocyst

Sporulated oocysts are elongately ellipsoidal, 14.5 × 24.5 (23–24.5 × 13–15, N = 25); shape index (length/ width ratio) 1.7 (1.6–1.75). Oocyst wall bi-layered, 1 (0.8–1.5, N = 25). Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. One irregularly-shaped polar granule is present, about 1 × 2.0. Sporocysts are elongate ellipsoidal, slightly asymmetrical, cramped on one pole, 8.5 × 15.9 (14.5–16.5 × 7–9, N = 25), with smooth, single layered wall; shape index 2.1 (1.7–2.2). Stieda body is present, dome-like, 1.3 high × 1.5 wide (1.0–1.2 × 1.5–1.6, N = 15) ( Fig. 2 ), substieda body is spherical 1.8 × 2.4 (1.7– 1.9 × 2.3–2.6, N = 15). Sporocyst residuum is scattered, composed of numerous small granules, smaller than 1 µm in diameter ( Fig. 1 ). Sporozoites are elongated, slightly curved, each with two refractile bodies. Anterior refractile body is spherical 1.8 × 2.4 (1.8 × 2.4–2.5, N = 10); the posterior one is elongate 2.7 × 4.8 (4.5–4.9 × 2.6–2.8, N = 10) ( Fig. 4 ). The nuclei of the sporozoites were not well discernible.

Type-host: Dryonastes courtoisi (Ménégaux, 1923) ( Passeriformes : Timaliidae ) (usually referred to as Blue-crowned Laughingthrush or Courtoisi’s Laughingbird). Previously placed into paraphyletic genus Garrulax . Treated as critically endangered species. All examined birds were hatched in captivity (but parents reared).

Type-locality: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust , Jersey, Channel Islands , British Crown Dependency, GPS coordinates of the Park: 49.22949°N, 2.07338°W .

Site of infection: Unknown, oocysts were recovered from faeces.

Sporulation: Exogenous, oocysts became fully sporulated within 6 days at 23°C.

Type-specimens: Digital photomicrographs on CD deposited at the type parasitological collection of the Institute of Parasitology , Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, No. IP ASCR Prot. Coll.: P23 .

Etymology: The specific epithet of the new isosporan reflects the specific epithet of the scientific name of the type host.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Nomarski interference contrast micrographs of sporulated oocysts of I. courtoisi isolated from the faeces of Dryonastes courtoisi. Note distinct elongated sporozoite refractile bodies (asterisk), polar granule (arrowhead) and globular substieda body (arrow); all in the same scale. Scale bar: 10 µm.

Fig. 4. Composite line drawing of sporulated oocyst of I. courtoisi. Scale bar: 10 µm.