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Isospora sporophilae Carvalho-Filho, Meireles, Ribeiro & Lopes, 2005 was morphologically and molecularly identified from the double-collared seedeater Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux), which is categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and from the uniform finch Haplospiza unicolor Cabanis in conserved and anthropomorphic/fragmented areas of Atlantic Forest in the southeastern Brazil. The oocysts recovered from S. frontalis and H. unicolor had small morphological and genotypic differences that were not considered sufficient for the description of new species, but only different genotypes of I. sporophilae related to each host. This coccidian species was originally described from double-collared seedeaters Sporophila caerulescens (Vieillot) in a center screening of wild animals; therefore, this new report emphasises a potential occurrence of anthropomorphic dispersion of coccidia through illegal trade, seizures and reintroductions in the wild.

A species of Isospora Schneider, 1881 (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) considered as new to science is described and characterised molecularly from the eastern white-throated spadebill Platyrinchus mystaceus Vieillot in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, southeastern Brazil. Isospora lopesi n. sp. has oocysts that are subspheroidal to ovoidal, 18–24 × 18–22 (20.6 × 19.7) µm, with smooth, bilayered wall, c.1.5 μm thick. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent, but one polar granule is present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 12–16 × 8–11 (14.4 × 8.6) µm. The Stieda body is flattened to half-moon-shaped and sub-Stieda body is rounded. Sporocyst residuum is present, consisting of numerous spherules of different sizes. Sporozoites are vermiform with anterior and posterior refractile bodies and nucleus. Molecular analysis was conducted at the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. This new isolate exhibited similarity greater than 98% with Isospora spp. isolates from spectacled warblers Sylvia conspicillata Temminck, 1820. This is the fourth isosporoid coccidian described from New World tyrannid birds, but is the first to have a complementary molecular characterisation.