Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Four new coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Plateau zokor, Myospalax baileyi Thomas (Rodentia: Myospalacinae), a subterranean rodent from Haibei area, Qinghai Province, China

  • Published:
Systematic Parasitology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thirty-eight faecal samples from the Plateau zokor, Myospalax baileyi Thomas, collected in the Haibei Area, Qinghai Province, China, were examined for the presence of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Seventeen of 38 faecal samples (44.7%) were found to contain coccidian oöcysts representing four new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875, and four of 17 (23.5%) infected zokors were concurrently infected with two or three of these eimerian species. The sporulated oöcysts of Eimeria myospalacensis n. sp. are ovoidal, 9.5–17.0 × 8.0–13.0 (mean 13.0 × 10.4) μm; a polar granule is present, oöcyst residuum is absent; sporocysts are ovoidal, 4.5–7.5 × 3.0–5.0 (mean 6.3 × 4.2) μm and have both a Stieda body and residuum. Oöcysts of Eimeria fani n. sp. are ellipsoidal to cylindroidal, 12.5–16.0 × 8.0–11.0 (mean 14.6 × 9.9) μm; a polar granule is present, but micropyle and residuum are lacking; sporocysts are ovoidal, 4.5–7.5 × 3.0–5.3 (mean 6.7 × 4.4) μm; a residuum and a Steida body are present. Oöcysts of Eimeria baileyii n. sp. are ellipsoidal, 15.0–23.0 × 12.0–18.0 (mean 18.2 × 13.7) μm; a polar granule is present but oöcyst residuum is absent; sporocysts are ovoidal, 8.0–11.0 × 5.0–7.0 (mean 9.5 × 5.9) μm and have both a Stieda body and residuum. Oöcysts of Eimeria menyuanensis n. sp. are ovoidal, 12.5–21.0 × 11.0–18.0 (mean 17.1 × 14.6) μm, with a distinct micropyle c.2.5 μm wide; a polar granule is present but a residuum is absent; sporocysts are ovoidal, 8.0–12.0 × 5.0–7.0 (mean 10.2 × 6.4) μm, and have both a Stieda body and residuum.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1–8
Fig. 9–12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anonymous (2013). American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. World Wide Web electronic publication, https://www.avma.org, version 01/2013.

  • Begall, S., Burda, H., & Schleich, C. E. (Eds.). (2007). Subterranean Rodents: News from Underground. Berlin - Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, pp. 1–9.

  • Cai, Z. Y., Zhang, T. Z., Ci, H. X., Tang, L. Z., Lian, X. M., Liu, J. Q., & Su, J. P. (2007). Mitochondrial phylogeography and genetic diversity of plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi). Acta Theriologica Sinica, 27, 130–137. (In Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Couch, L., Duszynski, D. W., & Nevo, E. (1993). Coccidia (Apicomplexa), genetic diversity, and environmental unpredictability of four chromosomal species of the subterranean superspecies Spalax ehrenbergi (Mole-rat) in Israel. Journal of Parasitology, 79, 181–189.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duszynski, D. W. (1999). Revisiting the code: Clarifying name-bearing types for photomicrographs of Protozoa. Journal of Parasitology, 85, 769–770.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duszynski, D. W., & Wilber, P. G. (1997). A guideline for the preparation of species descriptions in the Eimeriidae. Journal of Parasitology, 83, 333–336.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, N. C., & Shi, Y. Z. (1982). A revision of the zokors of subgenus Eospalax. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 2, 183–199. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, J. K., Yates, T. L., Duszynski, D. W., Gannon, W. L., & Gardner, S. L. (1992). Designation and curatorial management of type host specimens (symbiotypes) for new parasite species. Journal of Parasitology, 78, 930–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, M., Luo, J. Z., Chen, G., & Bai, Z. Y. (2004). A new species of Ransomus (Rhabditida: Stronglidae) of Myospalax baileyi. Acta Veterinaria Zootechnica Sinica, 35, 119–120. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Koudela, B., Sumbera, R., & Sedlacek, F. (2000). Eimeria burdai sp.n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), a new parasite species from subterranean African silvery mole-rat, Heliophobius argenteocinereus. Folia Parasitologica, 47, 97–99.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, C. R., Gardner, S. L., & Duszynski, D. W. (1988). Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the subterranean rodent Ctenomys opimus Wagner (Ctenomyidae) from Bolivia, South America. Journal of Parasitology, 74, 1018–1022.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, N. D., Ivens, V., & Kruidenier, F. J. (1957). New species of Eimeria from Arizona rodents. Journal of Protozoology, 4, 80–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modry, D., Jirku, M., & Sumbera, R. (2005). Three new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Silvery mole-rat Heliophobius argenteocinereus Peters, 1846 (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) from Malawi. Journal of Parasitology, 91, 1200–1203.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, R. W., Zhou, K. Y., Zhou, C. Q., Yang, G., Kilpatrick, C. W., & Honeycutt, R. L. (2004). The phylogenetic position of the zokors (Myospalacinae) and comments on the families of muroids (Rodentia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31, 972–978.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sayin, F. (1980). Eimeriidae of the herbivorous mole-rat, Spalax ehrenbergi Nehring. Journal of Protozoology, 27, 364–367.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sayin, F., Dincer, S., & Meric, I. (1977). Coccidia (Protozoa: Eimeridae) of the herbivorous mole-rat, Spalax leucodon Nordmann. Journal of Protozoology, 24, 210–212.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Su, J. P., & Wang, Z. W. (1992). Studies on the population energetics of plateau zokor I. Average daily metabolic rate and burrowing metabolic rate. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 12, 200–206. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, L. Z., Zhang, T. Z., Lin, G. H., & Su, J. P. (2010). Phylogenetic discontinuity of Plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi Thomas) populations in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Polish Journal of Ecology, 58, 167–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd, K. S., & Tryon, C. A. (1970). Eimeria fitzgeraldi n. sp. from the northern Pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides. Journal of Wildilife Diseases, 6, 107–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veisov, A. (1975). Tri novykh vida koktsidii roda Eimeria iz gornogo ili belozobugo slepysha Spalax leucodon Nordman, 1840. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Azerbaidzhanskoi SSR, 4, 82–85. (In Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Z. L., Chen, Y., Yang, J., Chen, W. J., Zhang, Y. M., & Zhao, X. Q. (2012). cDNA cloning and expression of erythropoietin in the plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin, 57, 997–1006.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Q. Y., Zhang, Y. M., Wei, W. H., & Bian, J. H. (2000). Food habit of the plateau zokor. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 20, 198–210. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M. (2005). Mammal species of the world (3rd ed.). Vol. 2. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 909–926.

  • Zhang, Y. M., Fan, N. C., & Zhou, W. Y. (1993). Study on the population ecology of the plateau zokors. Chinese Journal of Vector Biology and Control, 4, 359–361. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, W. Y., & Dou, F. M. (1990). Studies on activity and home range of plateau zokor. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 10, 31–39. (In Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 31170394 and 31370405).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China

    Yi-Fan Cao, Xu-Heng Nie, Tong-Zuo Zhang, Shou-Yang Du & Jiang-Hui Bian

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xu-Heng Nie & Shou-Yang Du

  3. Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    Donald W. Duszynski

Authors
  1. Yi-Fan Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xu-Heng Nie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tong-Zuo Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shou-Yang Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Donald W. Duszynski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jiang-Hui Bian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiang-Hui Bian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cao, YF., Nie, XH., Zhang, TZ. et al. Four new coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Plateau zokor, Myospalax baileyi Thomas (Rodentia: Myospalacinae), a subterranean rodent from Haibei area, Qinghai Province, China. Syst Parasitol 87, 181–186 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-013-9466-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-013-9466-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation