title: Reassignment of the land tortoise haemogregarineHaemogregarina fitzsimonsiDias 1953 (Adeleorina: Haemogregarinidae) to the genusHepatozoonMiller 1908 (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) based on parasite morphology, life cycle and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequence fragments.
abstract: Research was undertaken to clarify the true taxonomic position of the terrestrial tortoise apicomplexan,Haemogregarina fitzsimonsi(Dias, ). Thin blood films were screened from 275 wild and captive South African tortoises of 6 genera and 10 species between 2009-2011. Apicomplexan parasites within films were identified, with a focus onH. fitzsimonsi. Ticks from wild tortoises, especiallyAmblyomma sylvaticumandAmblyomma marmoreumwere also screened, and sporogonic stages were identified on dissection of adult ticks of both species taken fromH. fitzsimonsiinfected and apparently non-infected tortoises. Parasite DNA was extracted from fixed, Giemsa-stained tortoise blood films and from both fresh and fixed ticks, and PCR was undertaken with two primer sets, HEMO1/HEMO2, and HepF300/HepR900, to amplify parasite 18S rDNA. Results indicated that apicomplexan DNA extracted from tortoise blood films and both species of tick had been amplified by one or both primer sets.Haemogregarina  fitzsimonsi18S rDNA sequences from tortoise blood aligned with those of species ofHepatozoon, rather than those of species ofHaemogregarinaorHemolivia.It is recommended therefore that this haemogregarine be re-assigned to the genusHepatozoon, makingHepatozoon fitzsimonsi(Dias, ) the onlyHepatozoonknown currently from any terrestrial chelonian. Ticks are its likely vectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.|Water Research Group (Ecology), Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
authors.forename: Courtney A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9765-8893
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, London KT1 2EE, UK.
authors.forename: Scott P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.affiliation: Water Research Group (Ecology), Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.|School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, London KT1 2EE, UK.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Water Research Group (Ecology), Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nico J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Smit
keywords: Amblyomma; herpetological haematozoan taxonomy; reptile apicomplexan phylogeny; terrestrial chelonian; tick-vector