Skip to main content
Log in

Isospora borbai n. sp. (Chromista: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from gnateaters Conopophaga spp. (Passeriformes: Tyranni: Conopophagidae) in South America

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Acta Parasitologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The gnateaters Conopophaga spp. are insectivorous passerines commonly observed in high and humid forests, where they remain lodged in thin branches and, sometimes, they fly to the ground to catch insects. The insectivorous feeding habit is related to low prevalence and density of coccidians in passerines; however, several coccidian species are recorded for families of insectivorous passerines.

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the feces from gnateaters Conopophaga spp. captured in the municipality of Barra Mansa and in the Itatiaia National Park, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, to determine what coccidian parasites were present.

Methods

Nine gnateaters were captured with mist nets. Coccidian oocysts were recovered from the fecal samples by flotation in Sheather’s saturated solution. Morphological observations, line drawings, photomicrographs and measurements were made in optical microscopy and digitally edited. The molecular analysis included the study of the sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, with phylogenetic reconstructions based on the neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood analysis.

Results

Four Conopophaga spp. were positive for oocysts. An Isospora sp. considered as new to science is described and identified from Conopophaga melanops (Vieillot, 1818) and Conopophaga lineata (Wied, 1831). Isospora borbai n. sp. has oocysts that are subspheroidal, 17–22 × 15–22 (20.2 × 19.1) µm, with rough, bilayered wall, c.1.7 μm thick. Micropyle present, but without micropyle cap. Oocyst residuum absent, but one or two polar granules are present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 12–15 × 8–11 (14.1 × 9.1) µm. The Stieda body is knob-like to half-moon-shaped and sub-Stieda body is rounded. Sporocyst residuum is present, composed of scattered spherules of different sizes. Sporozoites are vermiform with refractile body and nucleus. Molecular analysis at the cox1 gene exhibited similarity greater than 99% with Isospora spp. isolates from other Neotropical passerine birds.

Conclusion

Based on the morphological and molecular features, I. borbai is considered as new to science and the first coccidian species recorded from Conopophagidae.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berto BP, Lopes CWG (2013) Distribution and dispersion of Coccidia in Wild Passerines of the Americas. In: Ruiz L, Iglesias L (eds) Birds: evolution and behavior, breeding strategies, migration and spread of disease. Nova Science Publishers, New York, pp 47–66

    Google Scholar 

  2. Berto BP, McIntosh D, Lopes CWG (2014) Studies on coccidian oocysts (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida). Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária 23:1–1. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612014001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Berto BP, Lopes BD, Melinski RD, Souza A, Ribas C, Abreu F, Ferreira I, Lopes CWG (2014) Coccidial dispersion across trans- and cis-Andean antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae): Isospora sagittulae McQuistion and Capparella, 1992 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from non-sympatric hosts. Can J Zool 92:383–388. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2013-0277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. BirdLife International (2016) The IUCN red list of threatened species. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed 23 Sep 2018

  5. Dolnik OV, Palinauskas V, Bensch S (2009) Individual oocysts of Isospora (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) parasites from avian feces: from photo to sequence. J Parasitol 95:169–174. https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1873.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Dolnik OV, Bensch S (2009) Isospora hypoleucae sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), a new coccidian parasite found in the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Parasitology 136(8):841–845. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182009006131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dolnik OV, Dolnik VR, Bairlein F (2010) The effect of host foraging ecology on the prevalence and intensity of coccidian infection in wild passerine birds. Ardea 98:97–104. https://doi.org/10.5253/078.098.0112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Duszynski D, Wilber P (1997) A guideline for the preparation of species descriptions in the Eimeriidae. J Parasitol 83:333–336. https://doi.org/10.2307/3284470

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. ICMBIO (2018) Parque Nacional do Itatiaia. http://www.icmbio.gov.br/parnaitatiaia. Accessed 23 Sep 2018

  10. ICZN (2012) International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature: amendment of articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication. Zookeys 219:1–10. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.219.3994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. McQuiston TE, Capparella A (1992) Isospora sagittulae, a new coccidian parasite (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the spotted antbird (Hylophylax naevioides). Trans Am Microscop Soc 111:365–368. https://doi.org/10.2307/3226711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Piacentini VQ, Aleixo A, Agne CE, Maurício GN, Pacheco JF, Bravo GA, Brito GRR, Naka LN, Olmos F, Posso S, Silveira LF, Betini GS, Carrano E, Franz I, Lees AC, Lima LM, Pioli D, Schunck F, Amaral FR, Bencke GA, Cohn-Haft M, Figueiredo LFA, Straube FC, Cestari E (2015) Annotated checklist of the birds of Brazil by the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee/Lista comentada das aves do Brasil pelo Comitê Brasileiro de Registros Ornitológicos. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 23:90–298

    Google Scholar 

  13. Sick H (1997) Ornitologia Brasileira. Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro, 862 p

  14. Silva LM, Rodrigues MB, do Lopes BB, Berto BP, Luz HR, Ferreira I, Lopes CWG (2016) A new coccidian, Isospora parnaitatiaiensis n. sp. (Apicomplexa, Eimeriidae), from the white-shouldered fire-eye Pyriglena leucoptera (Passeriformes, Thamnophilidae) from South America. Parasitol Res 115:745–749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4798-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Silva-Carvalho LM, Pastura DGN, Gomes JV, Siqueira PB, Rodrigues MB, Lima VM, Berto BP (2018) Isospora lopesi n. sp. (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the eastern white-throated spadebill Platyrinchus mystaceus Vieillot (Passeriformes: Tyranni: Tyrannidae) in South America. Syst Parasitol 95:455–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-018-9795-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Silva-Carvalho LM, Pastura DGN, Rodrigues MB, Gomes JV, Oliveira MS, Siqueira PB, Oliveira JLG, Soares SS, Oliveira AA, Lima VM, Ferreira I, Berto BP (2018) Isospora sagittulae McQuistion & Capparella (1992 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest of Brazil: with notes on its distribution and dispersion in the Neotropical region. Parasitol Res 117:2635–2641. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5955-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Rodrigues MB, Oliveira JLG, Silva-Carvalho LM, Pastura DGN, Gomes JV, Oliveira MS, Siqueira PB, Oliveira AA, Lima VM, Ferreira I, Berto BP (2019) The vulnerable Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux) and Haplospiza unicolor Cabanis as new hosts for Isospora sporophilae Carvalho-Filho, Meireles, Ribeiro & Lopes, 2005 (Eimeriidae) in Brazil. Syst Parasitol 96:423–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-019-09859-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Tamura K, Dudley J, Nei M, Kumar S (2007) MEGA4: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis (MEGA) software version 4.0. Mol Biol Evol 24:1596–1599. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msm092

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Yang R, Brice B, Elliot A, Ryan U (2015) Isospora serinuse n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from a domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica) (Passeriformes: Fringillidae) in Western Australia. Exp Parasitol 159:59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2015.08.020

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to staff at the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, mainly to the research coordinator Dr. Léo Nascimento, and the landowner at Santa Rita de Cássia in the Municipality of Barra Mansa, RJ, that allowed us to access and use some facilities during the expeditions. This study was supported by Grants from the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). Field-collecting permits were issued by SISBIO/ICMBio (licenses 42798; 45200; 49605; 54951) and CEUA/UFRRJ (protocols IV-036/2014; ICBS-008/2015; IV-6606250616). All applicable institutional, national and international guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Pereira Berto.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

da Silva-Carvalho, L.M., Genovez-Oliveira, J., de Souza Oliveira, M. et al. Isospora borbai n. sp. (Chromista: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from gnateaters Conopophaga spp. (Passeriformes: Tyranni: Conopophagidae) in South America. Acta Parasit. 64, 617–624 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-019-00079-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-019-00079-z

Keywords

Navigation