TY - JOUR
T1 - Description of Leucocytozoon quynzae sp. nov. (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae) from hummingbirds, with remarks on distribution and possible vectors of leucocytozoids in South America
AU - Matta, Nubia E.
AU - Lotta, Ingrid A.
AU - Valkiunas, Gediminas
AU - González, Angie D.
AU - Pacheco, M. Andreína
AU - Escalante, Ananias A.
AU - Moncada, Ligia I.
AU - Rodríguez-Fandiño, Oscar A.
N1 - Funding Information:
COXI cytochrome oxidase I, COXIII cytochrome oxidase III, CYTB cytochrome b aGenetic distance is provided, followed by standard error Acknowledgments Fieldwork was done under the permission of Unidad Administrativa Especial del Sistema de Parques Nacionales Naturales UAESPNN y el Ministerio de ambiente vivienda y desarrollo territorial. This work was supported by Colciencias code 110152128340 contract no. 359-2011. The funding source had no role on the study design, data analysis or publication submission. This research was done in accordance with Universidad Nacional de Colombia's Institutional Animal Care, and ethical Committee of Veterinary Medicine Faculty. We thank Dr. Tatjana Iezhova for technical assistance during preparation of the illustration plate. We are grateful to the students belonging to Grupo “Estudio Relación Parásito Hospedero”, for their assistance with sample collection, and to the staff of Chingaza National Natural Park.
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - We describe Leucocytozoon quynzae sp. nov. (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae), which is the first Leucocytozoon parasite identified to species level in hummingbirds. It was found in the Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis, Trochilidae, Apodiformes) captured in the Palacio Forest, which belongs to the damping zone of Chingaza National Natural Park, Cundinamarca, Colombia, at 2,900 m above sea level where the transmission occurs; the new species were found both in the high Andean forest and Paramo ecosystem. This parasite is described based on the morphology of its blood stages, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, and the complete mitochondrial genome. Illustrations of blood stages of the new species are given, and the phylogenetic analysis places this lineage in a well-supported clade with other lineages of unidentified to species level leucocytozoids reported in the Trochilidae birds elsewhere. The new species possess gametocytes in roundish host cells; it can be readily distinguished from other similar leucocytozoids, primarily due to (1) a comma-like shape of the host cell nucleus, which extended one half or less of the circumference of the gametocyte and (2) a large number of prominent volutin granules in the cytoplasm. Identical mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence of Leucocytozoon quynzae was found in different hummingbird species at the type locality and also was reported in one passerine bird at the highlands of Peru. Leucocytozoon quynzae is the first leucocytozoid parasite described from South American birds; its transmission occurs both at low temperatures and high elevations. We discuss some patterns of distribution of avian leucocytozoids in South America and the role of Gigantodax spp. (Diptera, Simuliidae) as potential vectors of Leucocytozoon parasites in the Andean Region.
AB - We describe Leucocytozoon quynzae sp. nov. (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae), which is the first Leucocytozoon parasite identified to species level in hummingbirds. It was found in the Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis, Trochilidae, Apodiformes) captured in the Palacio Forest, which belongs to the damping zone of Chingaza National Natural Park, Cundinamarca, Colombia, at 2,900 m above sea level where the transmission occurs; the new species were found both in the high Andean forest and Paramo ecosystem. This parasite is described based on the morphology of its blood stages, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, and the complete mitochondrial genome. Illustrations of blood stages of the new species are given, and the phylogenetic analysis places this lineage in a well-supported clade with other lineages of unidentified to species level leucocytozoids reported in the Trochilidae birds elsewhere. The new species possess gametocytes in roundish host cells; it can be readily distinguished from other similar leucocytozoids, primarily due to (1) a comma-like shape of the host cell nucleus, which extended one half or less of the circumference of the gametocyte and (2) a large number of prominent volutin granules in the cytoplasm. Identical mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence of Leucocytozoon quynzae was found in different hummingbird species at the type locality and also was reported in one passerine bird at the highlands of Peru. Leucocytozoon quynzae is the first leucocytozoid parasite described from South American birds; its transmission occurs both at low temperatures and high elevations. We discuss some patterns of distribution of avian leucocytozoids in South America and the role of Gigantodax spp. (Diptera, Simuliidae) as potential vectors of Leucocytozoon parasites in the Andean Region.
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U2 - 10.1007/s00436-013-3675-x
DO - 10.1007/s00436-013-3675-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 24265056
AN - SCOPUS:84903368062
SN - 0932-0113
VL - 113
SP - 457
EP - 468
JO - Parasitology Research
JF - Parasitology Research
IS - 2
ER -