THE TELOSPORASIDA AND THE COCCIDIA PROPER 



199 



EIMERIA PIRIFORMIS 

 KOTLAN AND POSPESCH, 1934 



Host : Domestic rabbit. 



Location: Small and large intestines. 



Geographic Distribution : 

 (France, Hungary). 



Europe 



Prevalen ce: 

 This species 



Relatively uncommon. 



has been found in both wild 

 and captive domestic rabbits. 



Morphology : The oocysts are piri- 

 form to ovoid, smooth, yellowish brown, 

 26 to 32 by 17 to 21 ji with a mean of 29 

 by 18jn. A micropyle is present. An 

 oocyst polar granule and oocyst residuum 

 are absent. A sporocyst residuum is 

 present. The sporulation time is 2 days. 



Life Cycle : The life cycle of this 

 species does not appear to have been 

 worked out in detail. The life cycle des- 

 cribed by Pellerdy (1953) for "E. piri- 

 fovDiis" is actually that of E. intestinalis. 

 The prepatent period is 9 days. 



Pathogenesis: Unknown. 



The sporozoites are elongate ovoid, with 

 a Stieda body. The sporulation time is 2 

 to 3 days. 



Life Cycle : The endogenous cycle of 

 this species has not been described. 



Pathogenesis : This species is 

 slightly to markedly pathogenic, depending 

 upon the extent of the infection. The af- 

 fected intestinal mucosa is inflamed and 

 hyperemic, and caseous necrosis may be 

 present. 



Remarks : Pelle'rdy (1954a) found a 

 coccidium which he believed to be E. 

 neoleporis in domestic rabbits in Hungary 

 and described its pathogenic effects. He 

 believed that E. coecicola was a synonym 

 of this species and he may be right. 

 Carvalho (1942) transmitted E. neoleporis 

 from the cottontail to the domestic rabbit. 

 However, for the present I am using the 

 name E. neoleporis for the cottontail form 

 alone. 



EIMERIA COECICOLA 

 CHEISSIN, 1946 



Host: Domestic rabbit. 



EIMERIA NEOLEPORIS 

 CARVALHO, 1942 



Hosts : Cottontail (Sylvilagus flori- 

 danus), domestic rabbit (experimentally). 



Location : Posterior part of small 

 intestine, large intestine. 



Geographic Distribution : North 

 America. 



Prevalence : Common in cottontails. 

 Ecke and Yeatter (1956) found this species 

 in 31% of 32 cottontails in Illinois. 



Location : Posterior ileum, cecum. 



Geographic Distribution : Europe 

 (Hungary), USSR. 



Prevalence : This species is appar- 

 ently rare in captive domestic rabbits, but 

 is common in wild ones. 



Morphology : The oocysts are ovoid, 

 sometimes ellipsoidal, smooth, light yel- 

 low, 25 to 40 by 15 to 21 |j, . A micropyle 

 is present. An oocyst polar granule is 

 absent. Oocyst and sporocyst residua are 

 present. The sporulation time is 3 days. 



Morphology : The oocysts are sub- 

 cylindrical or elongate ellipsoidal to ovoid, 

 smooth, pinkish yellow, 33 to 44 by 16 to 

 23 [I with a mean of 39 by 20 jix . A micro- 

 pyle is present. An oocyst polar granule 

 is absent. An oocyst residuum is usually 

 absent. A sporocyst residuum is present. 



Life Cycle : Kheisin (1947) described 

 the life cycle of this species. The schi- 

 zonts are found in the epithelial cells of 

 the villi of the posterior ileum, and the 

 gametes and gametocytes are below the 

 host cell nuclei of the crypt cells of the 

 cecum. The prepatent period is 9 days, 



