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Abstract
SUMMARY: The sporogonic stages and spores of Thelohania and of Plistophora from Simulium ornatum larvae were examined with the electron microscope. The two species of Thelohania studied appeared morphologically similar apart from spore size and the number of polar filament coils within the mature spore. The first species, Thelohania minuta (Gassouma, 1972), had four to five coils, while the second, T. canningi (Gassouma, 1972), had nine to ten. These mature filaments were found to have an internal structure and their polar cap was not directly attached to the internal spore wall. The varied membrane systems, including polaroplast, Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum of each stage are described. The Plistophora species, Plistophora tillingbournei (Gassouma, 1972), had 20 to 21 polar filament coils within the mature spore. The complex wall of sporoblast and spore of this species is compared with the smooth one found in the two Thelohania species.
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