ISOSPORA-UBIQUE - A NEW COCCIDIAN PARASITE FROM THE WEDGE-BILLED WOODCREEPER (GLYPHORYNCHUS-SPIRURUS) FROM SOUTH-AMERICA

A new species of Isospora is described from the faeces of the wedge-bi lled woodcreeper, Glyphorynchus spirurus from eastern Ecuador and Guya na. Oocysts of Isospora ubique sp. n. were found in 18/41 wedge-billed woodcreepers. Sporulated oocysts are subspherical to ovoidal, 23.4 x 21.8 (21-27 x 19-24) mu m, with a smooth, colorless bilayered wall; th e inner wall is thinner and darker. The average shape index is 1.07. N o micropyle or oocyst residuum are present but the oocyst contains one ovoid polar granule. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 14.8 x 10.1 (14-16 x 9-1 1) mu m, average shape index is 1.46 with a smooth single layered wall , and composed of a nipple-like Stieda body but no substieda body. The sporocyst residuum is usually composed of coarse granules scattered a mong the sporozoites or sometimes loosely clustered with a thin membra ne surrounding the sporozoites and residuum granules within the sporoc yst. Sporozoites are vermiform with an ovoid, posterior refractile bod y and an ovoid centrally located nucleus and lying randomly in the spo rocyst.