Parasites of the Plateau Brown Frog,Rana kukunorisNikolsky, 1918 (Anura: Ranidae) from the Northeast of the Qing-Tibetan Plateau, with the Description of a New Species ofIsospora(Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae)

Abstract

Fifty-six plateau brown frogs, Rana kukunoris Nikolsky, 1918, were collected from June to August 2014, and examined for parasites. Our goal was to survey the parasite species and its prevalence and mean intensity from the plateau brown frog in the Northeast of Qing-Tibetan plateau. Thirty-three of 56 (59%) frogs examined were infected with 1 or more parasites, including 19 (34%) with Dolichosaccus ranae Wang, 1980; 11 (20%) with Nematotaenia dispar (Goeze 1782) Luhe, 1899; 53 (95%) with Aplentana leesi Hristovski and Riggo, 1975; 3 (5%) with Rhabdias sp.; and 8 (14%) with unidentified juvenile nematodes. In addition, 4 (7%) frogs were found to harbor a previously unreported isosporan, which we describe herein. Sporulated oocysts of the new isosporan were ellipsoidal, 14.2 × 10.2 (12–16 × 8–12) μm, with a smooth, thin wall, and a shape index of 1.4 (1.1–1.8). No micropyle or oocyst residuum were present, but the oocysts contained one polar granule composed of 1–2 globules stuck together. Sporocysts were ovoidal, 8.7 × 7.2 (8–10 × 6–9) μm, with a shape index of 1.2 (1.0–1.4), and lacked Stieda, sub-Stieda, and para-Stieda bodies; they possessed a large sporocyst residuum consisting of an aggregate of granules bounded by a limiting membrane. Sporozoites were sausage-shaped, with one end slightly pointed and arranged head-to-tail around the sporocyst residuum; refractile bodies and nuclei were not discernible. These parasite species were recovered from R. kukunoris in China and all represent new host and distribution records.