Table 17 Key to the Haemoproteus species of Gruiformes birds

1 (6)

Growing dumbbell-shaped gametocytes (Fig. 18f, g) are absent

2 (3)

Growing and fully grown gametocytes are elongate and slender (Fig. 18a, b); they do not display or only slightly display nuclei of the infected erythrocytes laterally (Fig. 18a, b). The average NDR is close to 1

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

H. balearicae (Fig. 18a, b) [3, 110]

3 (2)

Growing and fully grown gametocytes are broadly halteridial (Fig. 18c, d); they do not assume slender form (Fig. 18a, b). Fully grown gametocytes markedly display nuclei of the infected erythrocytes laterally (Fig. 18d, e); the average NDR is less than 0.5

4 (5)

Average number of pigment granules in macrogametocytes is greater than 25

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

H. gallinulae (Fig. 18c, d) [3, 111, 112]

5 (4)

Average number of pigment granules in macrogametocytes is less than 25

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

H. antigonis (Fig. 18e) [3, 113]

6 (1)

Growing dumbbell-shaped gametocytes (Fig. 18f, g) are common

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

H. porzanae (Fig. 18f–h) [3, 112]