Description d'une nouvelle espèce d'Eimeria (Coccidia, Eimeridea) chez le lapin de garenne Oryctolagus cuniculus en France

Eimeria roobroucki n. sp. was discovered during the course of an epidemiological survey of wild rabbit coccidia performed during one year, in six different study sites in France. The species was found in five areas: Arjuzanx (Landes), Donzère-Mondragon (Drôme), Massereau (Loire-Atlantique), Gerstheim (Bas-Rhin), island of Beniguet (Molène archipelago). Prevalences were low, varying from 4 to 14%, and were maximum during winter. Infection intensities were also low, varying from 2 to 33 oocysts/g of faeces and were maximum during spring. Oocysts are big (55 +/- 2,7 x 33,7 +/- 1,3 um), devoid of residual body and contain large residual bodies inside the sporocysts. E. roobroucki n. sp. differs from all other Eimeria Schneider, 1875 species from Oryctolagus Lillejeborg, 1873 and from most species from Lepus Linné, 1758 by the larger size of its oocysts. E. stefanskii Pastuszko, 1961 from hares is the only species bigger than E. roobroucki n. sp.; however, in contrast with the latter it contains an oocyst residual body.