Three different haematozoan parasites are described in the blood of the teiid lizard
Ameiva ameiva
Linn. from North Brazil: one in the monocytes and the other two in erythrocytes. The leucocytic parasite is probably a species of
Lainsonia
Landau, 1973 (Lankesterellidae) as suggested by the presence of sporogonic stages in the internal organs, morphology of the blood forms (sporozoites), and their survival and accumulation in macrophages of the liver. One of the erythrocytic parasites produces encapsulated, stain-resistant forms in the peripheral blood, very similar to gametocytes of
Hemolivia
Petit et al., 1990. The other is morphologically very different and characteristically adheres to the host-cell nucleus. None of the parasites underwent development in the mosquitoes
Culex quinquefasciatus
and
Aedes aegypti
and their behaviour in other haematophagous hosts is under investigation. Mixed infections of the parasites commonly occur and this often creates difficulties in relating the tissue stages in the internal organs to the forms seen in the blood. Concomitant infections with a
Plasmodium tropiduri
-like malaria parasite were seen and were sometimes extremely heavy.
