Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from great horned owls, Bubo virginianus (Gmelin) (Aves: Strigiformes) from Arkansas and Oklahoma, USA, with novel molecular information on Eimeria bubonis Cawthorn & Stockdale, 1981

Syst Parasitol. 2019 Nov;96(8):695-702. doi: 10.1007/s11230-019-09881-9. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

Abstract

Although nine nominal species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 have been reported from owls (Strigiformes Wagler), molecular data are available for only one, Eimeria megabubonis Upton, Campbell, Weigel & McKown, 1990. This species has been reported from the great horned owl, Bubo virginianus (Gmelin) at the type-locality of Kansas, USA, and the additional localities of Oklahoma and Mississippi, USA. Eimeria bubonis Cawthorn & Stockdale, 1981, also from B. virginianus, is represented in the literature only by its original description from Saskatchewan, Canada. The present work reports a novel host locality of E. bubonis from B. virginianus in Arkansas, USA. Additionally, novel molecular data from the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene is provided for E. bubonis. Phylogenetic analysis using the newly generated and previously published sequence data for Eimeria spp. is also presented.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arkansas
  • Eimeria / classification*
  • Eimeria / genetics*
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics
  • Oklahoma
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Species Specificity
  • Strigiformes / parasitology*

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
  • Electron Transport Complex IV