Abstract
A new Eimeria species is described from a red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius). Sporulated oocysts (n = 31) were spherical to subspherical, with a rough bilayered oocyst wall 0.8 μm thick. Oocysts measured 24.0 × 22.8 (20.4–26.4 × 18.3–25.9) μm, oocyst length/width ratio, 1.10. Oocyst residuum, polar granule and micropyle were absent. Sporocysts are elongate-ovoid, 11.0 × 7.3 (12.7–9.2 × 7.9–6.6) μm, sporocyst length/width ratio, 1.51 (1.33–1.71). The thin convex Stieda body and indistinct substieda bodies were present and the sporocyst residuum was composed of numerous small granules less than 1.0 μm in diameter dispersed randomly. Each sporocyst contained 2 sausage-shaped sporozoites in head-to-tail arrangement. The sporozoite nuclei were located centrally surrounded by refractile bodies. Molecular analysis was conducted at two loci; the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. At the18S locus, the new isolate shared 99.0% genetic similarity with Eimeria dispersa and Eimeria innocua from the turkey. At the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene locus, this new isolate was most closely related to E. dispersa and E. innocua, presented 99.0% and 98.0% genetic similarity, respectively. This new isolate and E. dispersa grouped together in the same clade. Based on the morphological and molecular data, this isolate is a new species of coccidian parasite, which is named Eimeria purpureicephali n. sp. after its host, the red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius).
Highlights
The red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius), called the pileated parakeet (Alderton, 2003) and king parrot locally in Western Australia (Lendon, 1973), is an Australian species of broadtailed parrot which is related to the rosellas
Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA and COI sequences based on Maximum likelihood (ML), NJ and Parsimony analyses produced similar results and placed
Haematodi was 95.5% at the 18S rRNA locus based on 1235 bp of common sequence and 93.6% at the COI locus based on 311 bp of common sequence
Summary
The red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius), called the pileated parakeet (Alderton, 2003) and king parrot locally in Western Australia (Lendon, 1973), is an Australian species of broadtailed parrot which is related to the rosellas. The colourful redcapped parrot has a specialized long beak, which helps them to remove seeds from gumnuts of marri (Eucalyptus calophylla) as well as seeds from other eucalypts and native plants. These parrots live in eucalypt forests, woodlands, timbered watercourses, parks, orchards and gardens. Pathogenic Eimeria causes enteric disease and major economic losses in the global poultry industry (McDougald and Reid, 1997). More Eimeria species have been identified from free-range birds globally (Hofstatter and Guaraldo, 2011; Yang et al, 2014)
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