AMBLYOSPORA SALINARIA N. SP. (MICROSPORIDIA, AMBLYOSPORIDAE), PARASITE OF CULEX SALINARIUS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) - ITS LIFE-CYCLE STAGES IN AN INTERMEDIATE HOST

Horizontal transmission testing with an Amblyospora species from the m osquito Culex salinarius has documented the involvement of a copepod i ntermediate host. Meiospores (one type of uninucleate spore) of the Am blyospora sp. were infectious per os to female Macrocyclops albidus ad ults. All developmental stages in the copepod had unpaired nuclei (wer e haplophasic), starting with the sporoplasms from the meiospore, cont inuing as a succession of schizonts undergoing binary division and end ing with sporulation, producing a second type of uninucleate spore. Th ese spores, formed in the ovaries of M. albidus, were lanceolate, slig htly curved and measured 13.23 x 3.85 mu m. They infected C. salinariu s larvae, both male and female, when ingested. In addition, cross-infe ctivity testing was conducted and demonstrated that while A. californi ca from C. tarsalis will infect C. salinarius, it does not complete it s life cycle in this host. Based on these findings, we conclude that A mblyospora sp. from Cuter salinarius is a distinct species and assign it the name Amblyospora salinaria n. sp. (C) 1998 Academic Press.