Budding and asymmetric reproduction of a trichomonad with as many as 1000 nuclei in karyomastigonts: Metacoronympha from Incisitermes

Metacoronympha senta Kirby (Trichomonadida: Calonymphidae), an exclusive sy mbiont of Incisitermes (Kalotermitidae) divides by budding and unequal fiss ion, so that large cells can divide to produce both large and small cells. In contrast to M. senta in Incisitermes snyderi from Florida, which has a u nimodal population distribution and a maximum cell length of 90 mum, M. sen ta in I. nr. incisus from Trinidad has a bimodal population distribution wi th cells as long as 210 mum and with as many as 1000 nuclei, each associate d with a mastigont organelle system (karyomastigont). A densely packed para basal body (Golgi complex) is located on the cell membrane-side of each nuc leus, which has a typical oval shape. Kirby's report of "polygonal compartm ents, formed by contiguous nuclear membranes" prove by electron microscopy to be microtubules of the axostyles arrayed as a polygon around each nucleu s. Metacoronympha and other parabasalid symbionts (Coronympha, Trichonympha ) of I. snyderi and I. nr. incisus are reported in this second paper ever w ritten on this genus.