Seven new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from colubrid snakes of Guatemala and a discussion of what to call ellipsoid tetrasporocystic, dizoic coccidia of reptiles

Abstract

During a survey of Guatemalan herpetofauna in the summers of 1998–2000, 29 presumed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 were found, seven of which have a distinct elongate-ellipsoidal shape (L/W ratio ≥ 1.7) and are described herein. Six of the seven new species are similar in oöcyst length, width and L/W ratio and sporocyst length, width and L/W ratio, lack a micropyle, oöcyst residuum, Stieda body, sub- and parastieda bodies, have a polar granule and sporocyst residuum, and their sporocysts appear to have dehiscence sutures. The seventh is slightly smaller and has sporocysts with a Stieda body. The new species are: E. coniophanes n. sp – whose sporulated oöcysts from Coniophanes fissidens are 29.2×14.9 (27–31×13–16) $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.0\times7.8 \ \upmu$m; E. coniophis n. sp. –from Conophis lineatus are 32.0×16.5 (30–34×14–18) $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.2\times8.9\upmu$m; E. dryomarchoni n. sp. – from Drymarchon corais are 32.2×17.7 (31–34×17–19)  $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.7\times8.6 \ \upmu$m; E. leptophis n. sp. – from Leptophis mexicanus are 29.5×17.0 (28–31×16–18)  $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.0\times9.1 \ \upmu$m; E. oxybelis n. sp. – from Oxybelis aeneus are 31.8×16.5 (29–33×15–18)  $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.3\times8.8 \ \upmu$m; and E. scaphiodontophis n. sp. – from Scaphiodontophis annulatus are 30.0×15.3 (28–33×14–16) $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $9.9\times7.9 \ \upmu$m. Sporulated oöcysts of E. siboni n. sp. from Sibon nebulata are 24.3×14.2 (21–27×13–16) $\upmu$m, with sporocysts $10.0\times7.1 \ \upmu$m and with a Stieda body. We conclude that until all aspects of each life-cycle are known, it is prudent at this time to name all tetrasporocystic dizoic coccidia from snakes as members of Eimeria rather than place some of them in Choleoeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989.