new coccidian parasite [apicomplexa: Eimeriidae] from the legals lizard diplometopon Seradyn [amphisbaenia: trogonophidae] in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Large numbers of coccidian oocysts belonging to the genus Isospora were obtained from the intestinal contents of 10 legless lizards Diplometopon zarudnyi was collected from eastern region, Saudi Arabia. The oocysts are spherical to subspherical with a bilayered wall. Micropyle, polar granule and oocyst residuum were absent. The sporocysts are ellipsoid. A sporocyst residuum, stieda and substieda bodies were presented. Sporozoites are banana shaped, blunt at one end and tapered at the other and containing spherical anterior and posterior refractile bodies of the same size. Since this Isospora sp. does not resemble any other species of Isospora previously described from lizards of the genus Diplometopon, it has been identified as Isospora diplometoponi n. sp. after the host generic name