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Septate Gregarines From Reticulitermes Flavipes and Reticulitermes Virginicus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Author(s) -
HALL DONALD W.,
HOSTETTLER NIKLAUS
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1993.tb04878.x
Subject(s) - hindgut , reticulitermes , biology , midgut , rhinotermitidae , anatomy , lumen (anatomy) , zoology , parasite hosting , botany , larva , microbiology and biotechnology , world wide web , computer science
. The gregarine parasites of Reticulitermes virginicus and Reticulitermes flavipes begin their development as trophozoites attached to the midgut epithelium by a small button‐shaped epimerite. the epimerite is lost when the parasite becomes free‐living in the gut lumen as a solitary gamont. Syzygy is late and was not observed. When full‐grown, gamonts enter the hemocoel and fuse in pairs to form large gametocysts that are attached to the midgut of the termite by a duct. Thousands of sporocysts are formed within the original gametocyst. the mature sporocysts are released into the lumen of the midgut through the connecting duct. They are then passed out with the feces. These gregarines are believed to be identical to Gregarina termitis Leidy which was described from a single gamont and later erroneously placed in the genus Hirmocystis by Henry.