From: Keys to the avian Haemoproteus parasites (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae)
Step | Features and species | |
---|---|---|
1 (12) | Fully grown gametocytes are predominantly halteridial in form (Fig. 13a–i); they outwardly are not similar to gametocytes of Leucocytozoon sp. | |
2 (9) | Volutin is prominent and readily visible in fully grown gametocytes (Fig. 13a–f) b | |
3 (8) | Volutin is arranged as discrete granules (volutin granules) (Fig. 13a–e), but does not overfill more or less evenly the entire gametocyte cytoplasm | |
4 (5) | Large (1 µm and bigger) discrete volutin granules are present in fully grown microgametocytes (Fig. 13b). Pigment granules (hemozoin) are present inside volutin granules; this is particularly well visible in microgametocytes (Fig. 13b) | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
5 (4) | Large (1 µm and bigger) volutin granules (Fig. 13b) are absent from fully grown microgametocytes. Pigment granules (hemozoin) are absent from volutin granules (Fig. 13c–e) | |
6 (7) | Fully grown macrogametocytes and microgametocytes markedly displace nuclei of infected erythrocytes laterally (Fig. 13c, d). NDR is less than 0.5 | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
7 (6) | Fully grown macrogametocytes and microgametocytes do not displace or only slightly displace nuclei of infected erythrocytes laterally (Fig. 13e). NDR is greater than 0.5 | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
8 (3) | Volutin (Fig. 13a-e) is not arranged as discrete granules (volutin granules); it is arranged as prominent irregular clamps, which often overlap and usually overfill more or less evenly the entire cytoplasm in fully grown gametocytes (Fig. 13f) | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
9 (2) | Volutin is absent from fully grown gametocytes or difficult to visualize (Fig. 13g, i) b | |
10 (11) | The average number of pigment granules in fully grown macrogametocytes and microgametocytes is greater than 30. The earlies young gametocytes look like elongate slender bodies (Fig. 13h) | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
11 (10) | The average number of pigment granules in fully grown macrogametocytes and microgametocytes is less than 30. The earlies young gametocytes look like broadly ovoid bodies (Fig. 13j) | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |
12 (1) | Fully grown gametocytes are highly pleomorphic; many of them are outwardly similar to gametocytes of Leucocytozoon (Fig. 13k, l); they cause marked deformation of the infected erythrocytes (Fig. 13k, l). Pigment granules are few (less than 10 on average), tiny (often dust-like in appearance, see Fig. 13l) | |
 | …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. |