Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2009
1. The morphology and life history of a new haplosporidian parasite, Nephri-diophaga xenoboli sp.nov. from the gut of a millipede, Xenobolus carnifex are described.
2. The earliest stage hatched from the spore is a free uninucleate amoebula which penetrates the gut epithelium and grows into a multinucleate plasmodium.
3. The uninucleate gametes are formed by a process of endogeneous budding in the centre of the plasmodium and the sporoblast is formed as a result of fusion of two such gametes.
4. A characteristic cyst membrane enclosing about forty to fifty sporoblasts is formed immediately after fertilization is completed which is accompanied by a disintegration of the peripheral layer of the cytoplasm of the plasmodium.
5. Each sporoblast develops into a bivalved simple spherical spore, 3·0μ in diameter.