Observations on non-pigmented haemosporidia of Brazilian lizards, including a new species ofSaurocytozooninMabuya mabouya(Scincidae)

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Abstract
Of 63 specimens of the lizardMabuya mabouya(Scincidae) examined in Pará State, Brazil, 31 showed one or more haemosporidians in the peripheral blood. These includedGarnia(Plasmodium)morula(Telford, 1970), Lainson, Landau & Shaw, 1971;Plasmodium tropiduriandP. diploglossiAragão & Neiva, 1909; aPlasmodiumspecies close toP. diminutivumTelford, 1973a; and a new species ofSaurocytozoonLainson & Shaw, 1969a. Eleven different combinations of these parasites were noted, emphasizing the care needed in avoiding erroneous descriptions based on mixed infections. This is especially so whenG. morulais mixed withP. tropidurior other species with small, rounded gametocytes occupying a polar position in the red blood cells. Of 18 skinks infected withG. morula, 10 had pure infections, as judged by repeated examinations over long periods. The morphology of the Brazilian parasite is very similar to that described forG. morulafrom Panama (Telford, 1970): no malarial pigment could be demonstrated in any stage of the infection, including ookinetes and possible early oocysts which were studied in experimentally infectedCulex pipiens fatigans. Ookinetes and rounded forms, possibly representing uninucleate oocysts, persisted in these insects up to 24 h after the blood-meal, but developed no further.C. p. fatigansis thus unlikely to be a natural vector ofG. morula. Saurocytozoon mabuyisp.nov. is described inM. mabouya: the gametocytes develop in the lymphocytes and monocytes of the circulating blood and reach maximum size in 19–28 days. The parasite can be distinguished from the other known species,S. tupinambiof the teiid lizardTupinambus nigropunctatus, by its smaller gametocytes. Nothing is known of the sporogonic cycle. Differences between the sporogonic stages ofS. tupinambiandLeucocytozoonare listed.