Morphological description and near-complete mitochondrial genome of <i>Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) trarotraro</i> n. sp.: a widely distributed species reported in Brazilian falcons

Haemosporida are vector-borne parasitic protozoa known to be present in birds of most avian orders. However, despite their perceived diversity using DNA barcode approaches, describing and delimiting species is challenging, particularly for those parasites found in non-passerine birds. In this study, we describe <i>Haemoproteus trarotraro</i> n. sp., a species found in two Falconiform hosts, the Crested Caracara (<i>Caracara plancus plancus</i>, type host) and the Yellow-headed Caracara (<i>Daptrius chimachima chimachima</i>), both sampled in Brazil at a wildlife rehabilitation center using microscopy and molecular tools. <i>Haemoproteus trarotraro</i> n. sp. is distinguished from the two other haemoproteid species described in Falconiformes, <i>H. brachiatus</i> and <i>H. tinnunculi</i> , by the absence of gametocytes that fully encircle the host-cell nucleus, and by the presence of numerous small vacuoles scattered throughout the cytoplasm of macrogametocytes. Both the partial <i>cytb</i> gene and the mtDNA genome for this new species are reported. The sequencing of the <i>cytb</i> barcode fragment revealed that <i>H. trarotraro</i> n. sp. reported here corresponds to a <i>Haemoproteus</i> sp. haplotype (GenBank Accession (AF465594) lineage POLPLA01 in Malavi) previously reported from <i>Caracara plancus cheriway</i> in Florida, USA. Although it diverges by only 2% at the <i>cytb</i> level from <i>H. tinnunculi</i> and <i>H. brachiatus</i>, <i>H. trarotraro</i> n. sp. is not a sister lineage to these taxa. Instead, phylogenetic analyses place it within a distinct but closely related, well-supported clade comprising lineages infecting American Kestrels (<i>Falco sparverius</i>). This study contributes, through an integrative taxonomic approach, to the ongoing discussion about species delimitation within the order Haemosporida.