OBSERVATION ON AN ENDOPARASITE (APICOMPLEXA : SPOROZOEA) FROM THE EARTHWORM OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA
P. K. BANDYOPADHYAY *
PARASITOLOGY LAB. DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF KALYANI, KALYANI - 741235, INDIA
ULS ROYCHOUDHURI *
PARASITOLOGY LAB. DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF KALYANI, KALYANI - 741235, INDIA
GARGI BISWAS *
PARASITOLOGY LAB. DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF KALYANI, KALYANI - 741235, INDIA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A new aseptate gregarine Monocystis lalbagensis p.m. has been described from the seminal vesicles of an earthworm Metaphire (Pheretima) posthuma from the soil of Lalibag, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India. The parasite is cone shaped. It measures 624 - 108.1 m in length and 332 - 53.2 um in width. The small gametocyst measures 58.2 - 75.0 um in length and 321-50.0 pm in width. The oocyst is biconical in shape with more or less rounded extremities. It measures 6.4-6.6 mm in length and 3.1-3.2 um in width.