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Hexidionis garfieldi is described as new from specimens collected off a domestic cat, Felis silvestris f. catus Schreber, in Corpus Christi, TX. The genus Hexidionis Vercammen-Grandjean & Loomis, 1967, is rediagnosed and a key to the 11 included species given.

During a postmortem examination of a western spiny softshell turtle (Apalone [Trionyx] spiniferus hartwegi), a calculus (24 x 21 x 12-mm) with a dry weight of approximately 5 g was discovered in the urinary bladder. Chemically, the calculus was a mixture of apatite (basic calcium phosphate), struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate), and unidentifiable crystals. This is the first report of a cystic calculus in a wild chelonian.

Antibodies to Neospora caninum were detected in 5 (10%) of 52 coyotes from Texas. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were detected in 32 (62%) of 52 samples from these same coyotes. Four (80%) of the 5 coyotes that were seropositive for N. caninum also had antibodies to T. gondii. Nineteen (37%) of the coyotes did not have antibodies to either parasite. Three coyote pups were inoculated with the brains from mice infected with 3 strains of N. caninum originally isolated from dogs. None of the pups developed neosporosis or excreted N. caninum oocysts in their feces. The pups developed anti-N. caninum antibody titers ofor = 1:800 but did not develop antibodies to T. gondii. Results of this study indicate that antibodies to T. gondii are more common than antibodies to N. caninum in coyotes. Additionally, young coyotes appear to be resistant to experimental N. caninum infection.

Choanotaenia atopa (Cestoda: Dilepididae) is described (host: domestic cat from the vicinity of Manhattan, Kansas); its natural host is presumed to be a rodent. Choanotaenia atopa is morphologically similar to cestodes of 6 species, all from rodents, formerly placed in the genus Rodentotaenia Matevosian, 1953, and subsequently removed to the genera Choanotaenia Railliet, 1986, or Monopylidium Fuhrmann, 1899. The systematic position of those cestodes is discussed; Monopylidium and Rodentotaenia are treated as synonyms of Choanotaenia. Choanotaenia atopa is distinguished by size and form of rostellar hooks, regularly alternating genital pores, and other characters in genital organs.

Pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) are lung macrophages found apposed to the endothelium of pulmonary capillaries. In many species, they are responsible for the clearance of blood-borne particulates and pathogens; however, little else is known about their roles as immunologic effector cells. We compared PIMs with pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) to determine the relative immunological activities of these two cell populations. Our results suggested that both populations possess similar phagocytic and bactericidal activities. In assays measuring cytotoxicity, PIMs were more cytotoxic than PAMs against virally infected target cells; however, differences between these macrophage populations were not as marked when noninfected targets were used. LPS-stimulated PIMs produced more T-cell proliferative cytokines than PAMs, and both populations of nonstimulated macrophages produced similar amounts of the cytokines. In contrast, PAMs produced more TNF alpha and NO2- than PIMs when both populations were stimulated with LPS; however, nonstimulated PAMs and PIMs produced similar amounts of TNF alpha and NO2. These data suggest that bovine PIMs are immunologically active. Differences between the degrees of activity of PIMs and PAMs indicate that these macrophage populations may have different roles in lung surveillance.

Although a substantial amount of information is available on pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs), little is known about pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs), a separate population of lung macrophages found apposed to the endothelium of pulmonary capillaries. We compared these two populations of lung immunocytes to determine their relative immunological activity. Our results suggest that PAMs are more phagocytic than PIMs; however, PIMs may be more efficient at lysing ingested bacteria than PAMs. Although similar in antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, PIMs are more spontaneously cytolytic than PAMs. Depending upon the effector:target cell ratio studied, the tumoricidal activity of PIMs was less than or equal to that of PAMs. Both cell populations produced the cytokines interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α at similar concentrations. These data suggest that PIMs are immunologically active, although the degree of activity may differ between PIMs and PAMs.

Trypanosoma peromysci Watson, 1912 (Sarcomastigophora: Kinetoplastida), is described from a new host and locality. One of 20 (5.0%) Peromyscus leucopus collected from Pottawatomie and Riley counties in Kansas was found to harbor the parasite. Morphometric and statistical analysis confirmed the trypanosome to be indistinguishable from T. peromysci, the only difference being a greater mean flagellar length than reported previously. This is the first reported occurrence of T. peromysci in the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis Fischer, 1829) and also the first record of its occurrence in Kansas.

Choanotaenia atopa (Cestoda: Dilepididae) is described (host: domestic cat from the vicinity of Manhattan, Kansas); its natural host is presumed to be a rodent. Choanotaenia atopa is morphologically similar to cestodes of 6 species, all from rodents, formerly placed in the genus Rodentotaenia Matevosian, 1953, and subsequently removed to the genera Choanotaenia Railliet, 1986, or Monopylidium Fuhrmann, 1899. The systematic position of those cestodes is discussed; Monopylidium and Rodentotaenia are treated as synonyms of Choanotaenia. Choanotaenia atopa is distinguished by size and form of rostellar hooks, regularly alternating genital pores, and other characters in genital organs.