THE ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT OF 2 NEW SPECIES OF ISOSPORA SCHNEIDER, 1881 (APICOMPLEXA, EIMERIIDAE) FROM THAI GECKOES

Two new species of Isospora are described from Thai geckoes. I. platyurusi n. sp. in Cosymbotus platyurus from Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen and I. uptoni n. sp. in Hemidactylus frenatus from Chiang Mai. Oocysts of I. platyurusi are spherical to subspherical, 19-22.5 x 16.5-21.5 mu m and have two ovoid sporocysts of 11.5-14 x 7.5-9 mu m. Oocysts of I. uptoni are spherical to subspherical, 24-31.5 x 20-27.5 mu m and have two ovoid sporocysts of 12.5-15 x 9-11.5 mu m. Both species have sporocysts with Stieda bodies and undergo endogenous development in the nucleus of the host gut epithelial cells. On the completion of merogony and gamogony, the host nucleus is reduced to a thin envelope.