Monocystis bangladeshensis, Sarkar & Kundu & Bandyopadhyay, 2020

Sarkar, Sutapa, Kundu, Beauty & Bandyopadhyay, Probir K., 2020, Description of three new species of Aseptate Gregarine, Monocystis von Stein, 1848 of Oligochaetes collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 120 (3), pp. 211-219 : 212-214

Monocystis bangladeshensis sp. nov.

Zoobank: http://Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:50E4818E-3DA2-463A-8ABB-AEC5FF176433

Description: Trophozoites elongated with rounded lobe like an anterior end, bent into downwards forming a question mark like structure. The posterior portion has a short taillike structure. The nucleus is rounded and present in the middle of the trophozoite. Mucorn situated at the anterior end. Gametocysts are ovoid in shape (Clopton F7) and oocysts are fusiform in shape (Clopton B4).

Gamonts measure 211.45 - 218.79 (214.49 ± 3.77) x 28.73 -

33.15 (30.94 ± 1.88) µm. Nucleus measures 12.5 - 16.3 (14.28 ± 6.4) µm x 10.4 - 12.5 (11.4 ± 3.6) µm. Diameter of gametocysts measuring 94.88 - 105.66 (98.26 ± 3.69) µm x 70.52 - 78.40 (74.94 ± 3.69) µm; Oocysts measure

14.27 - 17.70 (15.48 ± 1.84) µm in length and 6.7 - 11.00 (8.85 ± 1.85) µm in width.

Type material: Monocystis bangladeshensis sp.nov.

Type host: Metaphire peguana Rosa, 1890

Site of infection: Seminal vesicles

Type locality: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Prevalence: Twelve out of twenty-five host earthworms (48%) were infected with the parasite.

Material deposited: Holotype: PR/ MC/27 /11 is deposited at the Parasitology Laboratory , Department of Zoology , University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India.

Paratype: The paratype has been deposited in the Harold W Manter, Laboratory of Parasitology , Systematic Research Collections, University of Nebraska State Museum ,

W 436, Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0514 USA, (Accession no. P-2014-002; Reg. no. HWML 49902 ) .

Etymology: The specific epithet “ bangladeshensis ” has been given after the name of the country, Bangladesh from where the host specimens have been collected.

Remarks: The present form under discussion shows some similarities and dissimilarities with Monocystis levinei Bandyopadhyay et al., 2005 and Monocystis elongatum Bandyopadhyay et al., 2008 . In M. levinei , presence of lobe like rounded anterior end while in the present form, an anterior rounded part is forwarded downwards for which parasite looks a peculiar question mark like shape. M. elongatum is elongated curved at the anterior end, tapering towards posterior ends with sharply pointed ends. The posterior end of present form also exhibits significant differences with M. levinei and M. elongatum . The present form has a pointed rectangular tail, shows a reasonable difference from the earlier one. M. levinei has a cylindrical pointed tail. In the present form, nucleus presents almost the middle portion of the body while in M. levinei nucleus found very close to the tail portion and rounded in shape as like that of M. elongatum . Mucron is not found in M. levinei but present in the current species as like that of M. elongatum . M. levinei and M. elongatum were found from Nadia, West Bengal, India and Murshidabad, West Bengal, India respectively, but the new one has been recorded from the host collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh ( Table 4).

Considering all these aspects, the present species is considered as a new one hence, the name Monocystis bangladeshensis sp. nov. is being proposed in this communication.