Abstract
We examined faeces of 76 endangered Tibetan antelopes Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel) in May 2017, from the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, Qinghai Province, China, and found 62/76 (82%) discharging oöcysts representing five new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875. Oöcysts of Eimeria pantholopensis n. sp., found in 54/76 (71%) chiru, are subspheroidal/ellipsoidal, 15–22 × 12–19 (18.6 × 16.1) µm, with a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.0–1.3 (1.2); micropyle cap and 1–3 polar granules are present, but oöcyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 7–11 × 4–6 (9.2 × 5.3) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.6–2.0 (1.7); Stieda body and sporocyst residuum of small, scattered granules are present; each sporozoite contains 2 refractile bodies. Oöcysts of Eimeria wudaoliangensis n. sp. found in 52/76 (68%) chiru, are pyriform, 21–29 × 17–21 (24.9 × 19.0) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.1–1.5 (1.3); micropyle, micropyle cap and 1–4 polar granules are present, but oöcyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 9–13 × 5–8 (11.7 × 6.7) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.4–2.7 (1.7); Stieda body and sporocyst residuum of disbursed granules are present; sporozoites have a single large refractile body. Oöcysts of Eimeria hodgsonii n. sp. found in 20/76 (26%) chiru, are elongate-ellipsoidal, 25–32 × 18–21 (28.9 × 19.8) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.2–1.7 (1.5); micropyle, micropyle cap and 1–3 polar granules are present, but oöcyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 11–14 × 6–7 (12.3 × 6.8) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.7–2.1 (1.8); Stieda body and sporocyst residuum as group of large granules lying along the interface between intertwined sporozoites are present; sporozoites have 2 refractile bodies. Oöcysts of Eimeria schalleri n. sp. found in 49/76 (64.5%) chiru, are ellipsoidal, 26–36 × 19–25 (30.4 × 23.2) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.2–1.5 (1.3); micropyle with micropyle cap and polar granules appearing as many diffuse tiny bodies are present, but oöcyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 12–16 × 7–9 (14.2 × 7.8) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.6–2.1 (1.8); Stieda body and sporocyst residuum are present, the latter as a group of small dispersed granules between intertwined sporozoites; sporozoites with 2 refractile bodies. Oöcysts of Eimeria sui n. sp. found in 4/76 (5%) chiru, are ovoidal, 32–38 × 26–30 (36.6 × 28.6) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.0–1.4 (1.3); micropyle and micropyle cap and 1–3 polar granules are present, but oöcyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 15–18 × 8–10 (16.7 × 8.9) µm, with a L/W ratio of 1.7–2.1 (1.9); Stieda body and sporocyst residuum are present, the latter as a group of dispersed small granules; sporozoites with 2 refractile bodies. Five of 62 faecal samples in which oöcysts were detected (8%) had a single species infection, 13 of 62 (21%) had two species, 28 of 62 (45%) had three species and 16 of 62 (26%) had four species.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Bureau of Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve for their assistance in the field and Mr. Wen-zhu Song for the line drawings of our sporulated oöcysts.
Funding
This work was supported by the Basic Research Program of (2017-ZJ-723) Qinghai Province.
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Cao, YF., Yang, YB., Duszynski, D.W. et al. Five new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 from the endangered Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsonii (Abel) (Artiodactyla: Bovidae: Caprinae) in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve Area of Qinghai Province, China. Syst Parasitol 96, 337–346 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-019-09847-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-019-09847-x