Isospora anthochaerae n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from a Red wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata) (Passeriformes: Meliphagidae) in Western Australia

• Description of a new species of Isospora in Red wattlebirds.
• Morphological characterisation.
• Molecular characterisation at 4 loci.

A new species, Isospora anthochaerae n. sp. is described from a Red wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata). Sporulated oocysts (n = 37) are subspherical, with smooth colourless to pale brown bilayered oocyst wall, 0.8 μm thick (outer layer 0·6 μm, inner 0.2 μm thick). Oocyst with 2 spheroidal to subspheroidal sporocysts. Oocyst length, 23.4 μm (20.0–26.0); oocyst width, 20.7 μm (19.0–22.0); oocyst length/width (L/W) ratio, 1.1. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts with compact sporocyst residuum and 4 sporozoites. Sporocyst length, 14.5 μm; sporocyst width, 10.1 μm sporocyst L/W ratio, 1.4. Molecular analysis was conducted at four loci; the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene (COI). At the COI locus, I. anthochaerae n. sp. exhibited 98.5% similarity to Isospora lesouefi from a Regent honeyeater (Xanthomyza phrygia) and 98% similarity with an Isospora sp. (iSAT5) from a blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). Based on morphological and molecular data, this isolate is a new species of coccidian parasite that to date has only been found in Red wattlebirds.

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