Observations on two new species of Nematocystis Hessé, 1909 (Protozoa: Monocystidae) from earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta) of West Bengal, India

Abstract

AbstractSurveys of acephaline gregarines from Nadia district (23°N, 88.5°E) of West Bengal, India revealed the occurrence of two new species of Nematocystis Hessé, 1909; Nematocystis gardenica sp.n. and Nematocystis kalyaniensis sp. n. in the seminal vesicles of earthworms, Amynthas diffriengens (Bairds, 1809) and Amynthas hawayanus (Rosa, 1891), respectively. Trophozoites of Nematocystis gardenica sp. n. are elongate, nematode-like and have parallel sides with pointed tips. Dimensions of trophozoites ranged from 110 to 1320 (505.0 ± 12.0) μm. Dimensions of gametocysts ranged from 140 to 166 μm and the small biconical sporocysts have varying dimensions of 11.0−12.6 μm × 4.0 μm. Trophozoites of Nematocystis kalyaniensis sp.n. are solitary, elongate, nematode-like but have nearly equal bulb-like swellings at two ends, one of which lodges the nucleus. Dimension of trophozoites ranged from 246 to 1232 (565.0 ± 21.0) μm. Dimensions of gametocysts ranged from 120 to 155 μm. Sporocysts are biconical with dimensions of 8.5−11.4 × 5.0 μm.