Morphometric variability of Clitellocephalus ophoni (Eugregarinida, Gregarinidae) in the intestines of Harpalus rufipes (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Abstract

Clitellocephalus ophoni (Tuzet and Ormieres, 1956) Clopton, 2002, is one of the parasites of a common ground beetle species, Harpalus rufipes (De Geer, 1774), inhabiting practically the entire temperate zone of Eurasia. Photographs of 177 gamonts and 74 syzygies of C. ophoni from specimens of three populations of H. rufipes collected from the countryside near Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine), were analyzed according to 15 linear characteristics and 18 indices for gamonts and 6 indices for syzygies. The coefficient of variation (CV) for the majority of linear parameters for gamonts ranged between 28.2-71.3%. Out of 15 linear parameters, only 6 showed a normal distribution; the others showed a statistically significant asymmetry (the maximum indicators on the histogram of distribution were inclined to the area of minimum value). The distribution of all 18 morphological indices diverged from the norm. Two maximum indicators were registered in the disposition of the widest point of the protomerite and deutomerite. The minimum CV was registered for the ratio of gamont length to the length of its deutomerite. The size ratios of the primite and satellite in the syzygies were more constant than the morphological indices for the gamonts. The sex of the host does not affect the length of the protomerite and deutomerite, but does affect their width, the disposition of the nucleus and the widest point of the deutomerite. The length of the protomerite and deutomerite relative to the length of the gamont is better described through linear functions, while their width has a nonlinear dynamic and is better described through parabolic function. The ratio of morphometric indices to total length of C. ophoni gamonts is also better described through nonlinear functions. The data obtained on the morphological variability of C. ophoni needs to be compared with the results for artificially infected individuals of other Harpalus species.