Table 1 African saurian malaria species across the families Agamidae, Chamaeleonidae, Cordylidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, Opluridae and Scincidae
Lizard host species by family | Plasmodiid species | Original host localities | Intracellular meront dimensions (L × W in μm); [LW in μm2]; Number of merozoites | Intracellular gametocyte dimensions (L × W in μm); [LW in μm2] | Gametocyte morphology | Effects of gametocytes on host cell | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agamidae | |||||||
Agama agama [syn. Agama colonorum (Linnaeus, 1758)] Other hosts: Agama cyanogaster (Southgate, 1970); Agama mossambica (Peters, 1854) | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) giganteum Theiler, 1930 | Gbanga, Liberia | (9–18 × 4–11) [52–165] 28−74 | (9–22 × 4–10) [45–145] − | Round to elongate or bulky |  | |
Agama agama Other hosts: Acanthocercus atricollis (Smith, 1849); Agama hispida aculeata (Kaup, 1827) | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) agamae (Wenyon, 1909) | Bahr-El-Ghazal Province, Sudan | (4–11 × 3–6) [12–55] 4−15 | (6–19 × 3–8) [33–105] − |  | Hypotrophy Distortion of host cells Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei | |
Agama mossambica | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) mossambica Telford, 2009 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (5–15 × 3–7) [20–75] 6−34 | (6–17 × 3–8) [36–84] − | Elongate | Distortion of host cells Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei Displacement of nuclei | [6] |
Agama mossambica | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) giganteum Theiler, 1930 | Gbanga, Liberia | (9–18 × 4–11) [52–165] 28−74 | (9–22 × 4–10) [45–145] − | Dimorphic | Hypertrophy Distortion and occasional enlargement of host cell | [27] |
Chamaeleonidae | |||||||
Chamaeleo brevicornis Günther, 1879 Other host: Calumma parsoni crucifer (Cuvier, 1824) | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) robinsoni (Brygoo, 1962) Telford & Landau, 1987 | Moramanga Subprefecture, Madagascar | (11–23 × 7–11) [90–184] 40−74 | (9–20 × 5–13) [72–221] − | Oval to elongate or bulky | Hypertrophy Displacement and distortion of nuclei | [33] |
Chamaeleo brevicornis | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) brygooi Telford & Landau, 1987 | Périnet, Madagascar | (6–9 × 5–8) [36–64] 10−16 | (9–15 × 5–10) [66–126] − | Oval or elongate | Hypertrophy Distortion of cell Displacement and distortion of nuclei | [33] |
Kinyongia fischeri (Reichenow, 1887) | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) acuminatum Pringle, 1960 | Tanga Region, Tanzania | − − − | − − − |  | Displacement of nuclei | [34] |
Kinyongia fischeri | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) fischeri Ball & Pringle, 1965 | Tanga Region, Tanzania | (9 × 6) [50] 21−25 | (8–11 × 5–8) [41–87] − | Oblong to elongate | Distortion of host cell Displacement of nuclei | [35] |
Kinyongia oxyrhina (Klaver & Böhme, 1988) | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) michikoa Telford, 1988 | Kilombero district, Tanzania | (6–15 × 4–8) [28–78] 12−32 | (6–14 × 4–8) [36–80] − | Elongate | Hypotrophy | [36] |
Kinyongia oxyrhina | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) gologoloense Telford, 1988 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (5–7 × 4–6) [20–42] 6−14 | (5–11 × 4–6) [20–54] − | Ovoid or round | Displacement of nuclei | [36] |
Trioceros werneri (Tornier, 1899) | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) tanzaniae Telford, 1988 | Iringa Region, Tanzania | (6–12 × 4–7) [28–70] 8−22 | (8–19 × 4–9) [48–112] − | Elongate | Distortion of host cell Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei | [36] |
Trioceros werneri | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) arachniformis Telford, 1988 | Iringa Region, Tanzania | (4–12 × 2–7) [12–49] 4−12 | (6–17 × 3–8) [30–75] − | Elongate and thin | Hypertrophy Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei | [36] |
Triceros werneri | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) uzungwiense Telford, 1988 | Iringa Region, Tanzania | (4–8 × 3–6) [16–42] 4−12 | (5–13 × 3–7) [24–63] − | Elongate | Distortion of host cell Displacement of nuclei Enlargement of proerythrocyte nucleus | [36] |
Cordylidae | |||||||
Cordylus t. tropidosternum (Cope, 1869) Other host: Cordylus vittifer (Reichenow, 1887) | Plasmodium (Carinamoeba) cordyli Telford, 1987 | Tanga Region, Tanzania | (4–7 × 3–6) [12–36] 4−11 | (5–8 × 4–7) [12–28] − | Round or ovoid | Hypertrophy Distortion of host cell Distortion and displacement of nuclei | |
Cordylus vittifer | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) zonuriae (Pienaar, 1962) | Elandsfontein, South Africa (this study) | (undescribed); (7–17 × 4–9); (12 × 6.5) [undescribed]; [36–120]; [32–117] 18–24; 12–28; 16−24 | (8–8.4 × 4.2 − 4.6); (7–20 × 4–10); (13.5 × 7) [undescribed]; [42–114]; [38–107] | Elongate | Hypertrophy Distortion and occasional enlargement of host cell Distortion and displacement of nuclei | [5] [6] This study |
Pseudocordylus melanotus (A. Smith, 1838) | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) intabazwe n. sp. | Platberg, Harrismith, South Africa | (3.8−6.5 × 3.7−6.7) [11–26.9] 8−14 | (5.5 − 7.1 × 5.4 − 6.6) [32–46] − | Kidney | Slight displacement of nuclei | This study |
Gekkonidae | |||||||
Cnemaspis barbouri Perret, 1986 | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) cnemaspi Telford, 1984 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (6–13 × 3–7) [24–91] 8−24 | (7–14 × 3–9) [32–108] − | Elongate (active) Ovoid or rounded (chronic) | Hypertrophy Distortion of host cell Displacement of nuclei | [25] |
Hemidactylus platycephalus Peters, 1854 | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) uluguruense Telford, 1984 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (4–10 × 2–6) [12–54] 4−12 | (5–10 × 4–7) [20–63] − | Ovoid | Hypertrophy Distortion of host cell Enlargement and displacement of nuclei | [25] |
Lygodactylus capensis grotei Sternfeld, 1911 | Haemocystidium lygodactyli Telford, 2005 | University campus, Morogoro, Tanzania | − − − | (11–20 × 4–9.5) [62–140] − |  | Distortion of host cell | [37] |
Lygodactylus capensis grotei | Haemocystidium lygodactyli Telford, 2005 | Morogoro region, Tanzania | (5–10 × 9–16) [20–70] 6−26 | (8–25 × 5–11) − − | Elongate to oval | Distortion of host cell | [37] |
Lygodactylus l. luteopicturatus Pasteur, 1964 Other host: Lygodactylus capensis grotei | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) loveridgei Telford, 1984 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (5–15 × 3–7) [20–91] 6−26 | (8–23 × 3–11) [48–176] − | Elongate, rarely rounded | Hypotrophy Distortion of host cell Displacement of nuclei | [25] |
Tarentola mauritanica deserti (Linnaeus, 1758) Other host: Tarentola annularis (Geoffroy De St-Hilaire, 1827) | Haemocystidium tarentolae (Parrot, 1927) Paperna & Landau, 1991 | El Kantara, Algeria | − − − | (8–18 × 4–12) − − | Elongate | Slight hypertrophy and distortion of host cell Lateral displacement of nuclei. | |
Lacertidae | |||||||
Holaspis guentheri Gray, 1863 | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) holaspi Telford, 1986 | Morogoro Region, Tanzania | (5–13 × 4–7) [25–66] 8−18 | (6–18 × 3–8) [28–98] − | Elongate | Distortion of host cell Displacement and distortion of nuclei | [40] |
Opluridae | |||||||
Oplurus cuvieri Gray, 1831 | Haemocystidium opluri Paperna & Landau, 1991 | Baie de Loukaio, Madagascar | − − − | (12–19 × 3–12) − − | Oblong, oval | Lateral hypertrophy Displacement of nuclei | [39] |
Scincidae | |||||||
Trachylepis maculilabris (Gray, 1845) | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) maculilabre Schwetz, 1931 | Kisangani, Congo | (10.0 × 6.9) [69] 15−20 | (7–13 × 5–8) [42–91] − | Ovoid to elongate | Hypertrophy Distortion of host cell Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei | [41] |
Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (Lichtenstein, 1823) Other hosts: Trachylepis maculilabris; Trachylepis striata (Peters, 1844) | Plasmodium (Carinamoeba) mabuiae (Wenyon, 1909), Telford, 1983 | Bahr-El-Ghazal Province, Sudan | (4–9 × 2–5 [10–30] 4−12 | (5–11 × 3–5) [18–44] − | Elongate, rarely ovoid or round | Hypertrophy Occasional distortion of host cell Displacement and occasional distortion of nuclei | |
Trachylepis striata | Plasmodium (Sauramoeba) heischi Garnham & Telford, 1984 | Nairobi, Kenya | (8–18 × 6–11) [48–144] 20−65 | (8–12 × 4–9) [60–120] − | Large, spindle-shaped | Distortion of host cell Lateral displacement of nuclei | [43] |
Trachylepis striata Other hosts: Trachylepis maculilabris; Trachylepis quinquetaeniata; Trachylepis varia (Peters, 1867) | Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba) pitmani Hoare, 1932 | Lake Victoria, Uganda | (4–11 × 3–7) [12–66] 4−25 | (5–16 × 4–9) [25–91] − 2.07 | Ovoid | Distortion of nuclei | |