Gregarines from Gromphadorina portentosa
The Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, is endemic to south-western Madagascar. This species is relatively easy to culture and has been a popular both as a subject for scientific study and as a pet. Madagascar hissing cockroaches host a single gregarine species, Blabericola migrator (Clopton, 1995) Clopton, 2009. Originally described as Leidyana migrator Clopton 1995, this species is now the type species of the genus Blabericola.
Clopton, R. E. 2012. Synoptic revision of Blabericola (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida: Blabericolidae) parasitizing blaberid cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) with comments on recognizing and delineating gregarine species boundaries. Journal of Parasitology 98(3): 572-583. PDF
Clopton, R. E. 2009. Phylogenetic Relationships, Evolution, and Systematic Revision of the Septate Gregarines (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinorida: Septatorina). Comparative Parasitology 76(2): 167-190. PDF
Clopton, R. E. 1995. Leidyana migrator n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Leidyanidae) from the Madagacar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa (Insecta: Blattodea). Invertebrate Biology 114: 271-278. PDF
Gromphadorhina portentosa, adult.
Blabericola migrator, life cycle stages. (20) Gametocysts. (21) Monete oocyst chains dehisced from mature gametocysts. (22) Oocysts. (23) Solitary trophozoite with epimerite. (24-27) Variation in typical mature associations. (From Clopton,2012).