The Dactylosomatidae Jakowska and Negrelli, 1955 are one of four families belonging to adeleorinid coccidia and comprise the generaBabesiosomaJakowska and Nigrelli, 1956 andDactylosomaLabbé, 1894. These blood protozoa occur in peripheral blood of lower vertebrates, and are commonly reported parasitising amphibians. The present study describesDactylosoma piperisn. sp. from the pepper frogLeptodactylus labyrinthicus(Spix, 1824) (Anura: Leptodactylidae), collected in 2018 at the municipality of Araguaiana, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, based on morphology of intra-erythrocytic trophozoite, primary and secondary merogonic stages and a molecular analysis (partial 18S rDNA).Dactylosoma piperisn. sp. forms a well-supported clade with other Dactylosomatidae. This is the first molecular characterization of a species ofDactylosomafrom a Brazilian anuran.

The Amphibia are considered the most threatened vertebrate class globally, yet in Brazil they are also one of the more diverse and species rich groups. Although, in recent years there has been strong focus on amphibian related research, their parasites have not received the same attention. In Brazil, only a single species of Hepatozoon, namely H. leptodactyli (Lesage, 1908) Pessoa, 1970, has been described from anuran hosts. The present study aimed to describe three new species of Hepatozoon parasitising Leptodactylus labyrinthicus and Leptodactylus latrans from Mato Grosso State, Brazil. From 66 anurans screened for haemogregarines, four belonging to the Leptodactylidae were found positive for species of Hepatozoon. Based on the morphological analysis of peripheral blood gamonts and spleen and liver tissue meronts, three different morphotypes of Hepatozoon spp. were identified. Morphotype 1 (M1) and morphotype 2 (M2) in L. labyrinthicus and morphotype 3 (M3) in L. latrans. Molecular data based on partial 18S rDNA sequences revealed an interspecific divergence, between the species ranging from 0.43% to 1.16%. Phylogenetic analysis recovered isolates from the present study monophyletic with other isolates from Brazilian reptile and anuran hosts, sister to a clade comprising species isolated from African, North American and European reptile and anuran host species. Thus, using morphological and molecular analysis three new species infecting Brazilian Leptodactylidae anurans were identified and described. This study increases the knowledge of Brazilian anurans blood parasites and demonstrates the importance of using integrative approaches for diagnosis of hemoparasites.