ISOSPORA ABDALLAHI SP. N. (APICOMPLEXA, EIMERIIDAE), A NEW COCCIDIUM FROM THE LACERTID LIZARD ACANTHODACTYLUS-BOSKIANUS (SAURIA, LACERTIDAE) FROM NORTHERN EGYPT

Seven of 12 lacertid lizards Acanthoductylus boskianus (Daudin, 1802), passed oocysts of an Isospora species. Comparison with other species of the genus Isospora Schneider, 1881 indicated that found coccidium r epresented a new species, for which the name I. abdallahi is proposed. Sporulated oocysts of I. abdallahi are spherical or subspherical, 25. 8 (24.5-29.0) x 23.9 (23.0-25.5) mu m, shape index (length/width) bein g 1.07 (1.00-1.16), with a smooth, bilayered oocyst wall that is sligh tly yellowish, about 2 mu m thick. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and pola r granule are absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 15.4 (14.0-16.0 x 9.4 (9 .0-10.0) mu m, with smooth and colorless sporacyst wall, shape index 1 .6 (1.5-1.8). Stieda body is dome-like, substieda body spherical to su bspherical. Sporocyst residuum is composed of numerous granules of dif ferent size, scattered among sporozoites. Most oocysts are passed unsp orulated; sporulation was completed within 12 h at 25 degrees C. Endog enous development occurs inside nuclei of enterocytes in the small int estine.