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Table 29 Key to the Haemoproteus species of Passeriformes birds (suborder Passeri) of the families Corvidae, Dicruridae, Laniidae, Monarchidae

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

Step

Features and species

1 (7)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown gametocytes is less than 20. Circumnuclear gametocytes (Fig. 30e) are absent or occur only occasionally among fully grown macrogametocytes

2 (8)

The nuclei of macrogametocytes are in subterminal (Fig. 30a, b) or close to terminal (Fig. 30j) positions and, as a rule, they are not closely appressed to the nuclei of infected erythrocytes (Fig. 30g)

3 (9)

Dumbbell-shaped growing gametocytes (Fig. 30b, i) are common

4 (10)

Dumbbell-shaped growing gametocytes, which do not touch the envelope of erythrocytes along their entire margin (Fig. 30i), are absent. Fully grown gametocytes fill the infected erythrocytes up to their poles (Fig. 30a, d)

5 (6)

The cytoplasm is markedly vacuolated in growing and fully grown microgametocytes, with several distinct large (greater than 1 µm in diameter) vacuoles often present (Fig. 30c)

 

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H. homopicae (Fig. 30a–c) [100]

6 (5)

The cytoplasm is not vacuolated or only slightly vacuolated in growing and fully grown microgametocytes (Fig. 30d); it does not contain distinct large (greater than 1 µm in diameter) vacuoles (Fig. 30c)

 

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H. picae (Fig. 30d) [3, 87, 145]

7 (1)

The average number of pigment granules in fully grown gametocytes is 20 or greater. Circumnuclear gametocytes (Fig. 30e) are common among fully grown macrogametocytes

 

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H. danilewskii (Fig. 30e, f) [3, 118, 146]

8 (2)

The nuclei of macrogametocytes usually are in median (Fig. 30g) position and, as a rule, they are closely appressed to the nuclei of infected erythrocytes (Fig. 30g)

 

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H. lanii (Fig. 30g) [3, 23, 85, 118, 147,148,149,150]

9 (3)

Dumbbell-shaped growing gametocytes (Fig. 30b, i) are absent or appear only occasionally

 

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H. dicruri (Fig. 30h) [3, 151]

10 (4)

Dumbbell-shaped growing gametocytes, which do not touch the envelope of erythrocytes along their entire margin (Fig. 30i), are common and predominate. Fully grown gametocytes usually do not fill the infected erythrocytes up to their poles (Fig. 30j)

 

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H. monarchus (Fig. 30i, j) [3, 139]