title: A new coccidian (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), from midland brown snake, Storeria dekayi wrightorum Trapido (Ophidia: Colubridae) from Arkansas, USA.
abstract: A new species of coccidian (Protista: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) collected from the faeces of a midland brown snake Storeria dekayi wrightorum Trapido (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, USA, is described. Oöcysts of Isospora holbrooki n. sp. are subspherical to ovoidal with a smooth, colourless, bi-layered wall, measure on average 27.1 × 24.0 µm, and have a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.1; both micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent, but a polar granule is present. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 14.8 × 10.0 µm on average (L/W 1.5); the Stieda body is nipple-like, the sub-Stieda body is ellipsoidal and the sporocyst residuum is composed of coarse granules in a cluster. Sporozoites have a spheroidal anterior refractile body, a subspheroidal posterior refractile body, and one centrally-located nucleus. This is the first description of an isosporan from the snake genus Storeria Baird & Girard as well as the largest oöcysts and sporocysts of any previous snake isosporan to date.
authors.affiliation: Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, OK, 74745, USA. cmcallister@se.edu.
authors.forename: Chris T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Casper, WY, 82601, USA.
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Seville
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, AR, 72712, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Connior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001131:Arkansas; D017812:Colubridae / Q000469:parasitology*; D007549:Isospora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology*; D033661:Oocysts / Q000166:cytology; D013045:Species Specificity; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000166:cytology