CARYOSPORA-AHAETULLAE SP-N (APICOMPLEXA, EIMERIIDAE) FROM THE LONG-NOSED VINE SNAKE, AHAETULLA-NASUTA (SERPENTES, COLUBRIDAE)

A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora is described from a l ong nosed vine snake, Ahaetulla nasuta, Lacepede, 1789 from Thailand. Oocysts of Caryospora ahaetullae sp. n. are spherical or slightly subs pherical, 24.8 (22.5-26.0) mu m in diameter, with a single-layered wal l about 0.75 mu m thick. A micropyle or oocyst residuum is absent. One , rarely two, polar granules are present, 1.5-2.0 mu m. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 18.5 x 14.2 (18.0-19.5 x 13.0-15.0) mu m with prominent Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum present, consisting of numerous very small granules scattered among 8 sporozoites. Sporozoit es, with prominent transverse striations anteriorly, are vermiform, 15 .0 x 3.8 (13.5-16.5 x 3.5-4.5) mu m (in situ), lying lengthwise and pa rallel within sporocyst. Each sporozoite contains a spherical anterior and spherical to subspherical posterior refractile bodies.