Taxonomic summary of genera within the Eimeriidae

Compiled by
Donald W. Duszynski and Lee Couch
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
and
Steve J. Upton
Division of Biology, Kansas State University

Supported by NSF-PEET DEB 9521687

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Updated: 30 August 1998
Comments: eimeria@unm.edu


Family Eimeriidae Minchin, 1903

Homoxenous or facultatively homoxenous; merogony, gamogony, and formation of oocysts all within the same host; in vertebrates or invertebrates.

Genus Barroussia Schneider, 1885

Synonym: Barrouxia Schellack & Reichenow, 1921
Synonym: Echinospora Leger, 1897
Synonym: Eimeria of Schneider, 1875, pro parte
Synonym: Urobarrouxia Mesnil, 1903
Definition: Oocysts with many sporocysts, each with 1 sporozoite; sporocysts bivalved; in invertebrates.
Type species: Barroussia ornata Schneider, 1885

Genus Caryospora Leger, 1904

Synonym: Eumonospora Allen, 1933
Synonym: Karyospora Leger, 1904, lapsus
Definition: Oocysts with 1 sporocyst, each with 8 sporozoites; in vertebrates, predominately snakes and raptors
Type species: Caryospora simplex Leger, 1904

Genus Caryotropha Siedlecki, 1902

Definition: Oocysts without definate oocyst wall, with about 20 sporocysts each with about 12 sporozoites. In polychaetes
Type species: Caryotropha mesnili Siedlecki, 1902

Genus Cyclospora Schneider, 1881

Definition: Oocysts with 2 sporocysts, each with 2 sporozoites
NOTE: Those from reptilian hosts are most likely misidentifications of Isospora or Sarcocystis spp.
Type species: Cyclospora glomericola Schneider, 1881

Genus Defretinella Hennere, 1966

Definition: Oocysts with >50 bivalved sporocysts, each with numerous sporozoites. In polychaetes
Type species: Defretinella eulailiae Hennere, 1966

Genus Diaspora Leger, 1898

Definition: Oocysts unknown; sporocysts each with 1 sporozote. Sporocysts lacking suture; in invertebrates
Type species: Diaspora hydatidea Leger, 1898

Genus Dorisa Levine, 1979

Synonym: Dorisiella Ray, 1930, pro parte
Definition: Oocysts with 2 sporocysts, each with 8 sporozoites
NOTE: Most species appear to represent abnormal sporulation or misidentification of isosporan oocysts
Type species: Dorisa hoarei (Yakimoff & Gousseff, 1935) Levine, 1979

Genus Dorisiella Ray, 1930

Definition: Oocysts without definate oocyst wall, with about 20 sporocysts each with about 8 sporozoites. In polychaetes
Type species: Dorisiella scolelepidis Ray, 1930

Genus Eimeria Schneider, 1875

Synonym: Acroeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989
Synonym: Acystis Labbe, 1894, pro parte
Synonym: Ampulleimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Archeococcidia Schmidt, Duszynski, & Martin, 1992
Synonym: Bananella Labbe, 1895
Synonym: Caryophagus Druner, 1894, lapsus
Synonym: Choleoeimeria Paperna & Landsberg, 1989
Synonym: Coccidium Leuckart, 1879, pro parte
Synonym: Crystallospora Labbe, 1899
Synonym: Cytophagus Steinhaus, 1891, pro parte
Synonym: Cytospermium Rivolta, 1878, pro parte
Synonym: Eimeriella Stiles, 1901
Synonym: Ellipseimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Epieimeria Dykova & Lom, 1981
Synonym: Globideimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Globidium Flesch, 1894, pro parte
Synonym: Gousseimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Goussia Labbe, 1896
Synonym: Gregarina Eimer, 1870, pro parte
Synonym: Ileocystis Gilruth & Bull, 1912
Synonym: Jarrina Leger & Hesse, 1922
Synonym: Karyophagus Steinhaus, 1889
Synonym: Lymphocystis Gilruth & Bull, 1912
Synonym: Marotelia Ratz, 1905
Synonym: Nucleoeimeria Daoudi, 1987
Synonym: Nucleogoussia Daoudi, 1987
Synonym: Orcheocystis Trinci, 1916
Synonym: Orthospora Schneider, 1881, pro parte
Synonym: Oveimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Paracoccidium Laveran & Mesnil, 1902
Synonym: Pfeifferella Labbe, 1899
Synonym: Pfeifferia Labbe, 1894
Synonym: Poleimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Psorospermium Rivolta, 1878, pro parte
Synonym: Rotundeimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Synonym: Stomateimeria Pellerdy, 1964
Definition: Oocysts with 4 sporocysts, each with 2 sporozoites. In vertebrates and invertebrates
Type species: Eimeria falciformis (Eimer, 1870) Schneider, 1875

Genus Isospora Schneider, 1881

Synonym: Coccidium Leukart, 1879, pro parte
Synonym: Cystoisospora Frenkel, 1977
Synonym: Diplospora Labbe, 1893
Synonym: Hyaloklossia Labbe, 1896, pro parte
Synonym: Klossia Labbe, 1894, pro parte
Synonym: Levineia Dubey, 1977
Synonym: Lucetina Henry & Leblois, 1925, pro parte
Synonym: Psorospermium Rivolta, 1878, pro parte
Synonym: Oocysts with 2 sporocysts, each with 4 sporozoites. In vertebrates and invertebrates
Type species: Isospora rara Schneider, 1881

Genus Mantonella Vincent, 1936

Definition: Oocysts with 1 sporocyst, each with 4 sporozoites; in invertebrates and, perhaps, vertebrates.
Type species: Mantonella peripati Vincent, 1936

Genus Ovivora Mackinnon & Ray, 1937

Definition: Oocysts with many sporocysts, each with up to 12 sporozoites; in eggs of echiuroid
Type species: Ovivora thalassemae (Lankester, 1885) Mackinnon & Ray, 1937

Genus Pfeifferinella von Wasielewski, 1904

Synonym: Alveocystis Bel'tenev, 1980
Definition: Oocysts lacking sporocysts, usually with large micropyle and 8+ free sporozoites; in invertebrates
Type species: Pfeifferinella ellipsoides von Wasielewski, 1904

Genus Pseudoklossia Leger & Duboscq, 1915

Synonym: Grasseella Tuzet & Ormieres, 1960
Synonym: Hyaloklossia Leger, 1897, pro parte
Synonym: Margolisiella Desser & Bower, 1997
Definition: Oocysts with many sporocysts, each with 2 sporozoites; in marine molluscs
Type species: Pseudoklossia glomerata Leger & Duboscq, 1915

Genus Tyzzeria Allen, 1936

Synonym: Koidzumiella Matubayasi, 1936
Definition: Oocysts without sporocysts, each with 8 sporozoites; in vertebrates
Type species: Tyzzeria perniciosa Allen, 1936

Genus Wenyonella Hoare, 1933

Definition: Oocysts with 4 sporocysts, each with 4 sporozoites; in vertebrates
Type species: Wenyonella africana Hoare, 1933


Invalid genera

Gousseffia Levine, 1980

Synonym: Yakimovella Gousseff, 1937, nomen preocc.
Definition: Oocysts with 8 sporocysts, each sporocyst with many sporozoites.
Type species: Gousseffia erinacei (Gousseff, 1937) Levine, 1980
Oocysts probably represent an adelid pseudoparasite

Hoarella Arcay de Peraza, 1963

Definition: Oocysts with 16 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 2 sporozoites
Type species: Hoarella garnhami Arcay de Peraza, 1963
This parasite most likely represents a parasite of arthropods and the developmental stages another coccidian

Octosporella Ray & Ragavachari, 1942

Definition: Oocysts with 8 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 2 sporozoites
Type species: Octosporella mabuiae Ray & Raghavachari, 1942
The species from lizards and the echidna probably represent parasites of arthropods
Any developmental stages noted are probably those of another coccidian
Species from the fish were described from smears and the sporocyst plates misidentified as intact sporocysts

Polysporella McQuistion, 1990

Definition: Oocysts with 9-15 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 2 sporozoites
Type species: Polysporella genovesae McQuiston, 1990
This coccidian most likely represents an adelid pseudoparasite

Pythonella Ray & Das Gupta, 1937

Definition: Oocysts with 16 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 4 sporozoites
Type species: Pythonella bengalensis Ray & Das Gupta, 1937
All species appear to represent adelid pseudoparasites

Sivatoshella Ray & Sarkar, 1968

Definition: Oocysts with 2 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 16 sporozoites
Type species: Sivatoshella lonchurae Ray & Sarkar, 1968
The oocysts appear to be the result of abnormal sporulation of an isosporan

Skrjabinella Matschoulsky, 1949

Definition: Oocysts with 16 sporocysts, each sporocyst with 1 sporozoite
Type species: Skrjabinella mongolica Matschoulsky, 1949
This coccidian appears to be an adelid pseudoparasite