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Morphological traits from blood stages have been the gold standard for determining haemosporidian parasite species. However, the status of some taxa and the value of such traits in parasites from reptiles remain contentious. The scarce sampling of these species worsens the situation, and several taxa lack molecular data. A survey was performed in the Magdalena Department in Colombia, where 16 species of reptiles were captured. A peculiar haemosporidian parasite was found in the Turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda . This haemosporidian does not show malarial pigment in blood stages under light microscopy; thus, it fits the Garnia genus's characters belonging to the Garniidae . However, the phylogenetic analyses using a partial sequence of cytochrome b and the mitochondrial DNA placed it within the Plasmodium clade. Our findings suggest that many putative Garnia species belong to the genus Plasmodium , like the one reported here. This study either shows that visible malarial pigment in blood stages is not a diagnostic trait of the genus Plasmodium or malarial pigment might be present in an undetectable form under a light microscope. In any case, the current taxonomy of haemosporidian parasites in reptiles requires revision. This study highlights the importance of using molecular and morphological traits to address taxonomic questions at the species and genus levels in haemosporidian parasites from reptiles.

Haemogregarines (Adeleorina) have a high prevalence in turtles. Nevertheless, there is only one Hepatozoon species described that infects Testudines so far; it is Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi which infects the African tortoise Kinixys belliana. Colombia harbours a great diversity of chelonians; however, most of them are threatened. It is important to identify and characterize chelonian haemoparasite infections to improve the clinical assessments, treatments and the conservation and reintroduction programs of these animals. To evaluate such infections for the Colombian wood turtle Rhinoclemmys melanosterna, we analysed blood from 70 individuals. By using the morphological characteristics of blood stages as well as molecular information (18S rRNA sequences), here we report a new Hepatozoon species that represents the first report of a hepatozoid species infecting a semi-aquatic continental turtle in the world. Although the isolated lineage clusters within the phylogenetic clades that have morphological species of parasites already determined, their low nodal support makes their position within each group inconclusive. It is important to identify new molecular markers to improve parasite species identification. In-depth research on blood parasites infecting turtles is essential for increasing knowledge that could assess this potential unknown threat, to inform the conservation of turtles and for increasing the state of knowledge on parasites.