Description of a new species of Haemoproteus [Haemosporidia, Apicomplexa] from an Orange-tufted Sunbird Nectarinia osea

Haemoproteus osea sp. nov. is described from the blood of Nectarinia osea, sunbird species, endemic to Israel and the Red Sea zone of Arabia. Infection was found only in one out of 44 birds, in Eilat, at the north end of Gulf of Aqaba; level of parasitaemia was 0.07%. Young gametocytes adhere alongside the nucleus. The gametocytes extend alongside the erythrocyte nucleus, filling the entire space to the erythrocyte envelope and only slightly impose over the tip of the erythrocyte nucleus. Mean nuclear displacement ratio is 0.75. H. osea differs from H. sequeirae Tendeiro, 1947 in having the microgametocyte cytoplasm blue staining, similarly to the macrogametocyte, rather than reddish white, and also in causing less evident displacement of the erythrocyte nucleus.