The life cycle and host specificity of Psychodiella sergenti n. sp. and Ps. tobbi n. sp. (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) in sand flies Phlebotomus sergenti and Ph. tobbi (Diptera: Psychodidae)
Abstract
Two new gregarines in the recently erected genus Psychodiella (formerly Ascogregarina), Psychodiella sergenti n. sp. and Psychodiella tobbi n. sp., are described based on morphology and life cycle observations conducted on larvae and adults of their natural hosts, the sand flies Phlebotomus sergenti and Phlebotomus tobbi, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses inferred from small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences indicate the monophyly of newly described species with Psychodiella chagasi.
Ps. sergenti n. sp. and Ps. tobbi n. sp. significantly differ from each other in the life cycle and in the size of life stages. The sexual development of Ps. sergenti n. sp. (syzygy, formation of gametocysts and oocysts) takes place exclusively in blood-fed Ph. sergenti females, while the sexual development of Ps. tobbi n. sp. takes place also in males and unfed females of Ph. tobbi.
Both gregarines were able to fully develop and complete regularly the life cycle only in their natural hosts.