Aranciocystis muskarensis n. gen., n. sp., a neogregarine pathogen of the Anisoplia segetum Herbst (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

•Description of a novel neogregarine pathogen: Aranciocystis muskarensis n. gen., n. sp.•The pathogen infects Anisoplia segetum Herbst (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).•Aranciocystis muskarensis is distinct morphologically from all known neogregarine species.•This pathogen was detected from the samples collected from Nevşehir (Muşkara) in Turkey.

In this study, a new genus and species of neogregarine which is a pathogen of Anisoplia segetum Herbst (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is described. The adult beetles of A. segetum were collected from Nevşehir, Turkey and neogregarine infection rates were determined as 18.52%. The Giemsa-stained mature oocysts are lemon-shaped and measured 9.34 ± 0.82 μm in length and 5.77 ± 0.77 μm in width. The oocyst wall surface of the mature oocysts is similar to an osage orange (tuberculate). Morphological, ultrastructural and molecular features indicate that the previously undescribed neogregarine is dissimilar to all known neogregarine taxa and represents the first record from Anisoplia segetum and is named here as Aranciocystis muskarensis n. gen., n. sp.

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