Table Of ContentK
fitmtu riinth >'i tki fli/JHr .Sin x/v <>t v Aiim. RUOl 1. 125)2). 129-152.
A NEW SPECIES OVEIMHRIA (APICOMPLEXA: EIMERHDAE) FROM
THE BRUSHTAIL POSSUM, TRKHOSVRUS VULPECULA
(DIPROTODONTIA: PIIALAN(JKKIDAE)
h\ Mk'IIAI I. G; O'C Ml A*iH \\ ' & PlTPK J. O'DONOnUUHt
Summary
CllVicC\b1insIlaimLuilvsp.osMs.um<i.. AI)uO'hDnOsKuiOtOiIs&i\Fi.>.fif<tmi.1h,i(2(0D0i1pi)olAodnoenwiisap:ecPiheaslauifVV'liimdearotfit,(A/>.'»iiwe.vo,rflA'p.jrV)tt0:. K,S'i.m,c\r//i.lW,d*1e2)5In(u2n
12*) 132. JONovember. 1001,
AiiiiM species ol t.tim'vut isdescribed from tho hiusliuul possum iTrUltoumn wtlfH'CUJu) Kilty (2lv! fnfl|5
l.ieenl sample* wl-iv pohilive lot eoecidia. Spoililalcd oocysts ul ilk- liCVN sjvties lire ellipsoidal to cylindrical.
sptoJltotlilLtvvi.[u>uii>illeM.i\tluilileUhIoWoceynsd.t-cUonata\in£s2,J7ouIirnte.llwiiplsloi[d|adloutbolpeyorniefyosilmus;pilolr.oicnyisclosip1y5l.e0.o\oel>y.*s>lpimv.shIwlitllihiiiauSlHlIicndMaT"bAocdu.lYe,
snkSticda hods mid '-poioLvst lesiduuui, Lach spoiocyst centaur* iwu sporo/oites completely rilling the
sponvysi an<l continuing ;i laiye ami small ichaclilc dobuk--
Kl V WukhN:(oeeidta. Iiimrnit futmrm hnIwstfti sp ilov, hi'ushldll possum, Iti<Ititwttus \ttl(in alii.
Introduction fa,fti>\u/it\ vttlju i nin Irum several localities in
Australia anil New Zealand.
I he common bfUShtilil pOSSUJfl IS "Us- of the inosl
littniliarill Ausltnltan native iiniuiiils inhabiting most Materials and Methods
oitios, Three genera belonging \o Ihe Family
Phalaniiciulac occur in Australia: PhtllangPl'i the Most faecal -samples examined were collected
cum iftCS, "I which |hCTC are two species inhabiting Irom live-trapped possums captured in QueenWsland.
northern Ouecttsland, Tr'hhostmt\, the brttshlad Victoria. Tasmania and South Australia in ll and
possums ami WvttLhi Mftttnim-amhthi Alexander ivHrs; ihe ivmaininii samples were collected Irom
I'HN. the scales tailed possum iSclunk el at. \$$2\. dead animols in New Zealand and tram Iheground in
The northern brushtail possutu. '/.' ttnthrnu'n,\i\ Tasmania in 2001. b'aeeal samples were iranspotled
('ollelte. I8*'7 inhabits north-western tropical to the laboratory and examined for the presence of
Australia, the mountain hru.shlail. T, nininus (Oyilh\. eoceidia lollowiue a centrifugal llolalion in saltualeil
\XM>\, inhabits high eounliy in easieru Australia ma-jiic'-auni sulphate solution (SG 1-30). Positive
while the connnon brushtail. /. vul/wcttht (Ken, samples we're placed into 2'.; aqueous tw/\)
I7v>2). is the most widely distributed. Occupying potassium dichromalc and stored at room
eastern, central, western and southern Australia tempciatiuc for up to 12 weeks. Spoi'lll&lcd Oocysts'
including Tasmania owl also New /calami, where it were recovered in magncsiunt sulphate solulion iin.d
has been introduced (Schiiik rt til IV92). It is arl>oival CX&mfncd undei an oil immetsion HHK objective in
anilnocturnal<\\v\speiuUtbeday inthehollow ol'airev_ an Olympus microscope lined with a Noniatski
Although l.imcria species have been reported 111 difinential interference contrast system
hnishlad pusMuus in Ausiralia (I'tesiilenie // iti- Measurements were made with an eyepiece yraiicule
IUH2; OTallaglumcV: Moore I9S(>: Vig-ers& Sprall calibrated with an ocular miciouietet, All
1^5) md in New Zealand {Stankiewie/ it ul, I9W6, ineasuremenls in Ihe lexl are given in micrometers
lnt)7a. h. 1.998) no fj/m-ha species has been ijiini as mean t standanl dcvialinu with ramie in
described not named from brushlails nor any parentheses. A phototype ol unspoiulated and
member ol the b'amilv Phalaneeridae. Here we sporulaled oocyst has been deposited ill the L S
desenbe a new species ol l:itncna louild hi National Museum. Hehwille, Marvlaml. I'arasite
CnllectiundJSNPC No. *>1524)
SuitlliAHSIiUIhWI Kcsvmcli.tail I>evcl<>,nin.-iil Itislituk-.<il'<> hi»> Results
W7 Aljchititf SA SlUH tuitl iK-p:irliai-al ol P.iiviiumiik-mI.iI
lli<ilu:-\. Iljtiv-erMtj Ml' \<k'l;tide SA 5tJI)5 I uiiiil Oocysts were recovered irom faecal samples ufM)
QIltu.-'v!InI":".i;"!'"1lit.mt-lt OHHr.IW'1..»KiUjfitHlur'.r.Wmoik;1M!U.'f.I.c"-.J",!.;'U,-l^Rl,HII'.'M-.'it.lM'U hnAnMi\ m| e\a2s&t%e]rn Ia.mirulspfoiuVtthikelrncoAlulselciteadhaatami13 tlwoocaliintieNsewm
I M. CJ. OT'ALLACHAN & R J. O'DONOGHOE
Tabu I.Ahtwrittlexamined, hr-alfties, venrit)eolUrriofiandnumbernfMiay/Iespmhivtforfttitystsfj/'EimurijdLnc~lic»iiir
I.oi-uliiy >,:;; No. collected No, pej
Tasmania. Latmcc^Uui
Suburban \99A & Z0U1 1! 3
Rural [994 A: Z0U1 34 5
Upper Blrssingion 2U0I 6 ^
Victoria Sulloii Grange 1-99*1 19 5
Axe Creek \<M
1
Culgoa Malice 1994 4
Tang Swamp 1994 12 3
unidentified 1994 4 I
Sunih Australia
m
Adelaide 1995
Kangaroo Island 1995 so 6
Queensland
Brisbane 1995 19
Rockhamptnn 1995 a f-
Towiisvillc
1995 6 1
1995 Id y
Zealand
i
Dulls 2001 12 ><
r.miha 2001 5 2
lota 50
Zealand t,Table I.). Morpln(logical charactersconform
in thoseyfthegenus tiimeria in dial they contain four
sporocysls per oocyst and two sporo/ohes per
sporocysl- The coccidia were identified as a new
species ofEimeris which is desenhed below.
F.imeria trichosuri sp. nov
r
iKKiS 1-4)
Material examined
Oocysts in faeces from four animals, from Sutton
(.jrange.Towiisville. Lauucestnn and Bulls.
I'fwioiypey. Holotype from faeces of T, vulpevttlu
Tiiwnsvijle. Queensland; paratype from faeces of T.
va/fh-mla UtiliceutCUt Tasmania (USNPC NTo. 91524?.
Spoiaiktted OO0y4J in- 20) ellipsoidal lo
1
cylindrical; 4 1.4 ± 3.20 (34.4 - 49.21 x 22.7 ± 2,67
( IS.4 - 27.X) with a |englh:widlh ralio 1.8 <l.3-2.fo:
double oocyst wall, omer wall smooth, occasionally
stippled at micropvfarend. colourless to yellow. I (V
2.0 in thickness; inner wall clear, colourless. 1.(1
thick, oocyst residuum consisting e>( globules up lo
?•.() in diameier, occurring eitheras a loose aggregate Kg. I- iItisporuhiiedoocyst* pj lJm?riu ttieht*wi sp. nov,
lit scalk-red ihroughoul oocyst: micropyle prescnl. Scalebar= 14 mn.
3.2-4,0 wide. I 2 retractile bodies present. Figs 2. }. Sporulaied oocysts \^( I.. !n<h<>>;un :.p. mw.
occasionally disintegrated; 4 ellipsoidal lo pyriform Abbreviations: pg. polar granule: W\ oocyst residuum,
spnu.cysts (h=I 10) I5.fi ± 1.02 (13.0 -13.01 \ 4.9 ± Scj.1l- bui'S = 14 urn.
1
\newspecies-oramjtiAfpxMeit[E BRusirrA-n possum |3I
Phalat^eridne). common brushtail |>0*KU|11
/\/-e iunih'ty W
Townsvillc. Queensland t K> lb' S. 14ft l: i
m
/ uiioti /// //o,s/
Oocysts in faeces, developing stages unknown,
However, developing stagesofwhat may be the same
species have been found previously within
(lie intestinal Irael ol the same host (Presidcnlc I°K-I).
Specific name derived from the generic nauie oT
the host.
Hiscussmn
Most Ehticrut speeies described from mauunals
arc known only from oocysts recovered in faecal
samples (l.evuie 19X2). Oixryhl morphology is used
io identify and distinguish hciwccn IJniitiu species
although considerable variation in OOtySl Btl-d
sporoey^t si/.e is known lo occur (l>us/ynski 1971 ).
Oespile some vanaliou in size, shape and colour,
the nocvsls of/:, frii'hoxuTi Sp. nov. were remarkably
uniform in their morphological eh.iraeleiistics
iirespective ot sampling locality or season. We
1 i'J. I. l\>ni|HVMlC IjlK' llLIWlll!' ('I .>e>lH'llLtH.'(! oocyst of I conclude, therefore, that they represent a single
ln<tu>sinisp. Km', Scale Kir- 10 }im. ijnicrid species, Dimensions of eoccidian oocysts
reported by Picsidcnlc 1 19R3-J in i. viilpnuld napped
0,W) (S,: - i:.D) wiih leii-thrwicllh ratio I.b <1. in rural <uu\ urhan aieas of Melbourne, coirespond
5.0); s'Hghlfj pointed at oiw Wtl with a cap or knoh- with diedimensionsol the kititt ria species described
likc Sticdu hm.lv: sub-Sticda bruly psesent: spnvucyM here. Morphomelric observations made on oocysts
k'miIliuiii an accumulation ofsmall globules 5.0-5.N delected in /. Ctmff>Wl by Prcsidrnlc Cl <tl. ( 1*>N2>
in diameter at e-QUftlOr Of HpOfOOyst; I •-piHo/uitr . were also similar to ihose reported in this
present, lyim-. head lo (ail each containing a tuf^C fnVC&igaltOH suggesting that they may be eon
rehaciile globule 5,0 in diameter and a smaller Specific: However, further studies on the identity mm\
ivlraclilc globule 2,5 in diameter. distributum pi bimatfti speeies infecting closely
relaied host species arc icquired before the biological
Remarks vabdav Of ItWpilOl&glCfllty similar specie- can be
confirmed.
Nti f\nth-tii< species have been ilesetibed Irotn ihe Presideute (19821 did not consider ooccidia
family Phalanecndac nniil now. Of the llmu:vid infectious delected in possums io he pathogenic.
'.pccics described bout ihe order Diproiodonlia ill Subsequent studies faded lo demonstrate lesions
Australia. *mks -is ol' the new species most closely in juvenile possums uitected Vvilh sporulaied oocysts
\\'snribli- / , KttiHWftti P-arkci, (VCalla^hmi Of :i\\ undt.scribed IJtm/iti species (Marriyan .V
& Pcveiidgc I9NS [nun Bt'Onti^iit ,i>i-t<i(mnli Presideute. uupub, ...led by IVcsidenle lv>S4» and
(DesiTiaresl, IS22). the Tasmanian hcttong- Ooeysis hislo padiolovical changes were niiKI in iialurc
ol the pntpnsed species diller. howcvci. by bemi' Infectious by coecidia in / r////>r. ///// in Nev\
laigci 1.11.4 \ 217 v. M,b \ 24Jl and by pos.sevan : A;iland were lenmiivelv associated With duoboe;i
a mteropylc. In addition, the oocvst wall of (Million 147^,1 bill in onl\ two animals, There is little
/', wituhtitli is thinner lhan thai of tin- new tspCClC** c\ ideuee to siiyycsl Ibai the species ol iJnh'hit
ami also Humiliate in appearance Ibarker </ a!, infcciint! T. Hilfit^HlU des^rilied in \\w-> ..indy is
IWW, pillhagcUk. Ih'wcvei. Ihe uumbci v\ oocysts
vlcieelcd was L'enerally low and nv) vlata arc available
on the effects ol heavy infectious in susceplihlc
in(ho\mii\ vuljH-ruhi iKeti. I7*i2j Mnisupiaha: animals, lurther studies ;nv reL|uireil to determine
(
.
I J3 M Ci OCALLAGHAN & R J. (riJONOGf
whcthcr inlCCljcHls may be pathogenic underspecific Obeitdorf for providing the majority Of samples
conditions. used in this study, K. Jakes and D. Ward for
Acknowledgments collecting additional samples from Tasmania and
I. Carmiehael and J. Cooper for collecting samples
The authors wish to thank B. Ionian and L). in New Zealand.
References
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