Ficedula solitaria (Muller) (Muscicapidae)

Paperna, Ilan, Keong, Malcolm Soh Chu & May, Charlotte Yap Aye, 2008, Haemosporozoan Parasites Found In Birds In Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sarawak And Java, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 211-243 : 219

Ficedula solitaria (Muller) (Muscicapidae)

Haemoproteus pallidus Valkiunas & Iezhova 1991 ( Fig. 10 )

Locality. – Malaysia: Fraser’s Hill , May 2003. In one out of 16 specimens examined in 2003, none in 11 examined in 2002 .

Type species. – Ficedula hypoleuca (Pallas) , Baltic region .

Description. – Observed infection in Fic. solitaria was scanty, so detected cells were few. An early invaded erythrocyte was observed (10.2 × 6.0 with 5.3 × 7.2 nucleus and NDR = 1.0) with 4 trophozoites, 4.3–6.3 × 1.3–2.0 in size, each with a large posterior vacuole, half the size of the trophozoite; one erythrocyte (12.2 × 6.3) with a elongate macrogametocyte (23.8 long, 2.2, wide) folded around the 5.3 × 2.8 erythrocyte nucleus (NDR = 0.85); another erythrocyte (10.6 × 5.7) completely occupied by a macrogametocyte with a very displaced host cell nucleus (5.3 × 2.4, NDR = 0.30) and an erythrocyte almost completely invaded by a large microgametocytic plasmodium (11.4 × 6.4). Both macrogametocytes and microgametocytes contain nuclear masses, which do not suggest if it is a single or merged nuclei. Uninfected erythrocytes are 10.3 ± 0.84 × 6.2 ± 0.33 with 5.8 ± 0.53 × 2.6 ± 0.31 nucleui (n = 8).

Remarks. – Valkiunas [1997 (2005)] describes two forms of Hae. pallidus infection: single and multiple. In the single infection the gametocyte grips the erythrocyte nucleus on one side but never totally embraces it; in a multiple infection the erythrocyte is invaded by several gametocytes, two of which grow and merge into a common plasmodium which encloses the host-cell nucleus.

Figures

Fig. 10.Haemoproteus cf. pallidusfrom Ficedulasolitaria, Malaysia (from left: multiple juvenile infection; elongated macrogametocyte folded around the host nucleus, seemingly merged gametocytes with conspicuous macrogametocyte nucleus; same but with conspicuous microgametocyte features.