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Fig. 2 | Malaria Journal

Fig. 2

From: Keys to the avian Haemoproteus parasites (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae)

Fig. 2

Main morphological forms of fully grown gametocytes, which are used in keys for identification of Haemoproteus species: roundish (b), microhalteridial (c–f), halteridial (g–j) and broadly-halteridial (k, l), close to circumnuclear (m, n), circumnuclear (o, p) and rhabdosomal (q, r). Uninfected erythrocyte (a) was shown for comparison purpose. All pictures show only fully grown gametocytes. Note that form of growing gametocytes often is different from the form of the fully grown gametocytes. That is why the form of young growing gametocytes usually was not mentioned in the keys, except for some rare cases, which were specified in the tables for species identification. The gametocyte forms depend on mode of parasite growth in red blood cells, which often is species-specific and was used in taxonomy. Various variations of halteridial (c–l) and circumnuclear (m–p) gametocyte forms predominate in avian haemoproteids. Roundish form (a) is particularly rare. Rhabdosomal forms (q, r) develop in several Haemoproteus species whose fully grown gametocytes enucleate infected erythrocytes. Dumbbell-like form of gametocytes (e) was often mentioned in the keys. Long simple arrows—host cell nuclei. Short simple arrows—parasite nuclei. Simple arrowheads—pigment granules. Other explanations are given in the text

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