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Table 21 Key to the Haemoproteus species of Piciformes birds

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

Step

Features and species

1 (8)

Fully grown gametocytes do not encircle completely the nuclei of infected erythrocytes. Circumnuclear gametocytes (Fig. 22c, d) are absent

2 (11)

Fully grown gametocytes do not enucleate the infected erythrocytes

3 (16)

Clearly dumbbell-like or bilobed in shape (Fig. 22l, m) fully grown gametocytes are absent

4 (17)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown macrogametocytes and microgametocytes is similar

5 (18)

Macrogametocyte nuclei are predominantly in median position (Fig. 22a, b). Fully grown gametocytes do not contain large compact volutin granules (Fig. 22p)

6 (7)

Advanced growing gametocytes and fully grown gametocytes are closely appressed to nuclei of infected erythrocytes (Fig. 22a)

 

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

H. xantholaemae (Fig. 22a) [3, 119]

7 (6)

Advanced growing gametocytes and fully grown gametocytes, which do not touch nuclei of infected erythrocytes (Fig. 22b) are common

 

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

H. cornuata (Fig. 22b) [3, 119]

8 (1)

Fully grown gametocytes encircle completely the nuclei of infected erythrocytes (Fig. 22c, d). Growing gametocytes readily tend to grow around nuclei of the erythrocytes

9 (10)

Advanced growing and fully grown gametocytes contain numerous prominent volutin granules and clearly distinct volutin clumps (Fig. 22c), which mask pigment granulesa

 

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

H. velans (Fig. 22c) [3, 87, 120, 121]

10 (9)

Advanced growing and fully grown gametocytes do not contain numerous prominent volutin granules and their clearly distinct clumps (Fig. 22c), which mask pigment granulesa

 

……………………………………………….

H. homovelans (Fig. 22d) [121]

11 (2)

Fully grown gametocytes enucleate the infected erythrocytes at final stage of development (Fig. 22e, g, h). Growing advanced gametocytes markedly displace nuclei of infected erythrocytes, often to erythrocyte poles (Fig. 22f, i, k)b

12 (15)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown gametocytes is less than 25

13 (14)

Infected erythrocytes are hypertrophied (on average approximately 10%) in length in comparison to uninfected ones

 

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

H. bennetti (Fig. 22e–g) [3, 122]

14 (13)

Infected erythrocytes do not change significantly on average in length in comparison to uninfected ones

 

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

H. bucconis (Fig. 22h) [3, 64]c

15 (12)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown gametocytes is greater than 25

 

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

H. thereicerycis (Fig. 22i–k) [3, 119]

16 (3)

Clearly dumbbell-like or bilobed in shape (Fig. 22l, m) fully grown gametocytes are common

 

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

H. bilobata (Fig. 22l, m) [3, 119]

17 (4)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown macrogametocytes is approximately half as many as in fully grown microgametocytes (compare Fig. 22n and o)

 

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

H. indicator (Fig. 22n, o) [3, 64]

18 (5)

Macrogametocyte nuclei are predominantly of sub-terminal position (Fig. 22p). Fully grown gametocytes contain large compact volutin granules

 

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

H. borgesi (Fig. 22p) [3, 122]

  1. aVolutin is always readily visible, but might be present markedly unequally in different infections
  2. bAvailability of gametocytes in enucleated erythrocytes is a function of the parasitemia stage. Such gametocytes might be rare or even absent in blood films, in which growing gametocytes predominate
  3. cRedescription of H. bucconis is needed. Type material of this species is fading and many morphological characters are indistinguishable. This parasite is similar to H. bennetti. These two species can be distinguished mainly due to little differences in influence of fully grown gametocytes on the length of infected erythrocytes. The taxonomic value of this character needs clarification