A malarial parasite of Australian skinks, Plasmodium mackerrasae sp. n

Plasmodium mackerrasae sp. n. parasitizes the Australian lizards Egernia cunninghami and E. striolata (Sauria: Scincidae). Described from an experimental host, E. whitei, it produces mature schizonts containing 6--12 nuclei arranged peripherally as a rosette, and round to oval gametocytes which are equal to or slightly smaller than host cell nuclei. Both schizonts and gametocytes parasitize all cells in the erythrocyte series. Presence of pigment in both asexual and sexual stages is correlated with maturity of the host cell. Asexual forms contain a single large vacuole, whereas mature gametocytes may show 1--4 vacuoles. Plasmodium mackerrasae resembles most closely P. sasai of Japan and P. tropiduri of tropical America. It differs from P. sasai by lacking fan-shaped schizonts and by having less heavily pigmented gametocytes, and from P. tropiduri by less variability in shape and greater vacuolation of the gametocytes. Host and geographic differences further support its distinction.