Physico-chemical properties and carbohydrate-binding specificity of hemagglutination activity (HA) were compared in tissue lysates and haemolymph of unfed and bloodied females of five sandfly species. Sandfly gut lectins were found to be heat-labile, sensitive to dithiotreitol treatment, freezing/thawing procedures and were affected by divalent cations. The pH optimum of HA ranged between 7.0-7.5. Specificity of gut HA of all species studied was directed towards aminosugars and some glycoconjugates, mainly lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli K-235, heparin and fetuin. Gut HA of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli, 1786) was strongly inhibited by lipophosphoglycan (LPG) from Leishmania major promastigotes. In females, that took blood, the HA was higher but the carbohydrate-binding specificity remained the same; this suggests that the same lectin molecule was present, at different levels, both in unfed and fed flies. High HA was found in ovaries of fed females of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz et Nieva, 1912), P. papatasi and P. duhoscqi Neveu-Lemaire, 1906. In P. papatasi and P. duboscqi the HA was present also in the haemolymph and head lysates of both fed and unfed females. Carbohydrate-binding specificity of HA present in these tissues was similar with the gut lectin.
A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora is described from a long nosed vine snake, Ahaetulla nasuta, Lacépède, 1789 from Thailand. Oocysts of Caryospora ahaetullae sp. n. are spherical or slightly subspherical, 24.8 (22.5-26.0) pm in diameter, with a single-layered wall about 0.75 pm thick. A micropyle or oocyst residuum is absent. One, rarely two, polar granules are present, 1.5-2.0 pm. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 18.5 x 14.2 (18.0-19.5 x 13.0-15.0) pm with prominent Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum present, consisting of numerous very small granules scattered among 8 sporozoites. Sporo-zoites, with prominent transverse striations anteriorly, are vermiform, 15.0 x 3.8 (13.5-16.5 x 3.5—4.5) pm (in situ), lying lengthwise and parallel within sporocyst. Each sporozoite contains a spherical anterior and spherical to subspherical posterior refractile bodies.
A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora Léger is described from the colubrid snake Boiga dendrophila Boie, 1827 imported from Kalimantan. Oocysts of Caryospora kalimaniunensis sp. n. are spherical, 18.7 (17.0-20.0) pm in diameter, with a bilayered slightly pitted and brownish oocyst wall. A micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent. One globular polar granule is present in 45% of sporulated oocysts. Sporocysts are ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 14.5 (13.0-15.5) x 10.5 (10.0-11.0) pm, with prominent Stieda and substieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum is present as small granules scattered among sporozoites. Sporozoites are elongate, lying lengthwise and parallel within the sporocyst and completely filling the sporocyst. Each sporo-zoite contains a spherical anterior and posterior refractile bodies.
A new coccidian parasite of the genus Caryospora Léger, 1904 is described from the colubrid snake Psammophis schokari (Forskâl, 1775). Oocysts of Caryospora maxima sp. n. are spherical or subspherical, 43.0 (40.0-46.0) X 42.1 (40.0-44.0) pm, with smooth and bilayered oocyst wall ca. 2.0 μιη thick. A micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysls are broadly ellipsoidal, 21.3 (21.0-22.0) x 16.3 (16.0-17.0) μιη, with smooth, colourless and unilayered sporocyst wall. Sticda and substieda bodies are present. Sporocyst residuum is present as compact mass of granules lying centrally between sporozoites. Sporozoitcs arc elongate, arranged head to tail within sporocyst. Caryospora maxima represents the first coccidian species described from Psammophis schokari.