Table 3 Key to the Haemoproteus species of Anseriformes birds

1 (2)

Macrogametocytes often contain one or several large (2.5 μm and bigger) vacuoles (Fig. 4a, b)

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

H. macrovacuolatus (Fig. 4a, b) [55]

2 (1)

Macrogametocytes do not contain large (2.5 μm and bigger) vacuoles (Fig. 4a, b)

3 (4)

Fully grown gametocytes predominantly grow around nuclei of infected erythrocytes and do not displace or slightly displace (Fig. 4c, d) the nuclei laterally; they markedly enclose the nuclei with their ends and can completely encircle the nuclei (Fig. 4c). Gametocytes markedly displacing erythrocyte nuclei laterally might occur occasionally during high parasitemia, but never predominate

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

H. greineri (Fig. 4c, d) [3, 56]

4 (3)

Fully grown gametocytes predominantly markedly displace the nuclei of infected erythrocytes laterally (Fig. 4e, f); they usually slightly enclose the nuclei with their ends but usually do not encircle the nuclei completely. Circumnuclear fully grown gametocytes might occur occasionally during high parasitemia, but never predominate

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

H. nettionis (Fig. 4e, f) [3, 57, 58]