Eimeria from bats of the world: a new species in Tomopeas ravus from Peru

Two of 17 (12%) crevice bats, Tomopeas ravus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), from Peru had coccidian oocysts in their feces when examined. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tomopea n. sp. are ellipsoid to subspheroid, 30.6 x 24.6 (26-34 x 20-28) µm with ovoid sporocysts 13.9 x 9.0 (12-15 x 8-10) µm. A micropyle and substieda body are absent, but polar bodies, oocyst and sporocyst residua, and small, indistinct Stieda bodies are present. The oocyst wall is thick, ≅ 1.5 µm and consists of 2 layers, the outermost being rough and mammillated. This is only the 13th eimerian to be described from bats worldwide. The currently recognized species of Eimeria are listed, and a possible New World-Old World phyletic split within the genus is described.