New coccidia from Australian lizards. II. Eimeria

Abstract

Five new species of Eimeria are described, viz. E. ablephari from Ablepharus boutonii (Scincidae), E. egerniae from Egernia whitii (Scincidae), E. gehyrae from Gehyra variegata (Gekkonidae), E. lampropholidus from Lampropholis guichenoti and E. leiolopismatis from Leiolopisma challengeri. The characters of these species and the other coccidia from lizards are tabulated and a host check-list is given. Gall bladder parasitism is discussed as is the significance of complete sporogony occurring within the host's body. Some ideas concerning the possible events occurring in the evolution of the Haemosporina are presented.I wish to thank Miss J. Arnold of the Zoology Department, University of Western Australia, for her identification of many of the lizards and Miss S. Curtis for her drawings. Finally I wish to thank Dr H. M. D. Hoyte, Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, for his interest and helpful criticism of the manuscript.