We collected fecal samples from 9 dusky rice rats, Melanomys caliginosus (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae), in a Biological Reserve in Costa Rica and found 8 (89%) to be infected with 2 Eimeria species which we describe here as new. Sporulated oocysts (n = 20) of the first, Eimeria melanomytis n. sp., are cylindroidal and measure 20.1 × 13.3 μm (18–23 × 13–15); micropyle and oocyst residuum are both absent, but a bilobular polar granule is present. Its sporocysts are ovoidal, 10.5 × 7.4 μm (10–13 × 6–8) with a small Stieda body, but both substieda and parastieda bodies are absent; a spheroidal sporocyst residuum is present, ∼5 μm wide. Sporulated oocysts (n = 20) of the second, Eimeria rebambensis n. sp., are subspheroidal, 21.2 × 17.0 μm (19–23 × 14–18); micropyle and oocyst residuum are both absent, but with a polar granule ∼2 μm wide. Sporocysts are elongate-ovoidal, 12.4 × 7.0 μm (11–14 × 6–9) with a distinct knob-like Stieda body, and a substieda body directly beneath it which is about twice as wide, but no parastieda body is present; the sporocyst residuum is an irregular mass composed of 8–10 globules scattered among the sporozoites, which are ∼10 × 5 μm, and have 1 refractile body at their wider end and a central nucleus. These are the first eimerians described from this rodent genus.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 February 2013
Two New Eimeria Spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Dusky Rice Rat, Melanomys caliginosus, Tome 1860, in Costa Rica
Misael Chinchilla,
Idalia Valerio,
Ronald Sánchez,
Antonieta González,
Laura Martínez,
Donald W. Duszynski
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
Journal of Parasitology
Vol. 99 • No. 1
February 2013
Vol. 99 • No. 1
February 2013