A new Eimeria species parasitic in Isoodon obesulus (Marsupialia: Peramelidae) in Western Australia.

Feces from southern brown bandicoots, Isoodon obesulus, inhabiting the Perth metropolitan area were examined using fecal flotation and light microscopy, and were frequently found to contain oocysts (10/24; 42%). To enable formal description of the proposed new Eimeria species, i.e., Eimeria quenda n. sp., fecal oocysts from 1 juvenile male I. obesulus were allowed to sporulate in 2% potassium dichromate (K(2)Cr(2)O(7)) at room temperature. Sporulated oocysts are spheroidal to subspheroidal 24.5 × 23.6 (22.5-26.0 × 22.5-24.8) µm, with L/W ratio of 1.04 (1.00-1.13), lack a micropyle and oocyst residuum, and are contained within a smooth trilaminate oocyst wall 1.8 (1.6-2.0) µm thick. Sporocysts are ovoid, 12.6 × 9.2 (12.0-13.8 × 8.5-10.0) µm, with L/W ratio of 1.37 (1.20-1.53), have a sporocyst residuum, and 2 comma-shaped sporozoites, each containing 2 spheroidal refractile bodies. Sporulation takes 1-3 days at room temperature. This is the second formal description of an Eimeria species parasitic in the order Peramelemorphia.