. The life cycle of Leidyana ampulla n.sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinorida: Leidyanidae) in the grasshopper Ronderosia bergi (Stal) (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae).

LANGE, C. E.; CIGLIANO, M.M.

ACTA PROTOZOOLOGICA

Año: 2004 vol. 43 p. 81 - 87

0065-1583

Summary. Leidyana ampulla, a new species of septate eugregarine, is described from the Argentine grasshopper Ronderosia bergi. Prevalence was high (76 %, n = 50) in San Pedro, Misiones province in northeastern Argentina, but the parasite was not detected in the center of the country (Bagual and Buena Esperanza in San Luis province, and Pehuaj¨® in Buenos Aires province) where R. bergi is also normally an abundant species. Trophozoites, which had a simple, globular epimerite and were solitary, occurred attached to the intestinal epithelium. During transition from trophozoite to gamont the epimerite was not shedded but retracted into the protomerite. Gamonts were solitary, had a characteristic bottle-like appearance, and a total length that ranged from 280 to 584 ¦Ìm (mean: 526.2 ¡À 13.3). Syzygy was biassociative and caudofrontral, the associates resembled each other in shape but not size. Spherical gametocysts measured 104 to 360 ¦Ìm (mean: 247.7 ¡À 49.3). Gametocyst dehiscence was by a variable number of sporoducts (up to 12). Oocysts were dolioform, measuring 5.7 ¡À 0.06 by 2.8 ¡À 0.08 ¦Ìm.Leidyana ampulla, a new species of septate eugregarine, is described from the Argentine grasshopper Ronderosia bergi. Prevalence was high (76 %, n = 50) in San Pedro, Misiones province in northeastern Argentina, but the parasite was not detected in the center of the country (Bagual and Buena Esperanza in San Luis province, and Pehuaj¨® in Buenos Aires province) where R. bergi is also normally an abundant species. Trophozoites, which had a simple, globular epimerite and were solitary, occurred attached to the intestinal epithelium. During transition from trophozoite to gamont the epimerite was not shedded but retracted into the protomerite. Gamonts were solitary, had a characteristic bottle-like appearance, and a total length that ranged from 280 to 584 ¦Ìm (mean: 526.2 ¡À 13.3). Syzygy was biassociative and caudofrontral, the associates resembled each other in shape but not size. Spherical gametocysts measured 104 to 360 ¦Ìm (mean: 247.7 ¡À 49.3). Gametocyst dehiscence was by a variable number of sporoducts (up to 12). Oocysts were dolioform, measuring 5.7 ¡À 0.06 by 2.8 ¡À 0.08 ¦Ìm.R. bergi is also normally an abundant species. Trophozoites, which had a simple, globular epimerite and were solitary, occurred attached to the intestinal epithelium. During transition from trophozoite to gamont the epimerite was not shedded but retracted into the protomerite. Gamonts were solitary, had a characteristic bottle-like appearance, and a total length that ranged from 280 to 584 ¦Ìm (mean: 526.2 ¡À 13.3). Syzygy was biassociative and caudofrontral, the associates resembled each other in shape but not size. Spherical gametocysts measured 104 to 360 ¦Ìm (mean: 247.7 ¡À 49.3). Gametocyst dehiscence was by a variable number of sporoducts (up to 12). Oocysts were dolioform, measuring 5.7 ¡À 0.06 by 2.8 ¡À 0.08 ¦Ìm.