The analyses of molecular data represent an effective tool for increasing the credibility of taxonomy and facilitate the description of species. Nevertheless, in haemoprotozoa, the growing amount of available sequential data is not matched by the still limited number of well-defined species. We identified four protistan haemoparasites in North Iranian reptiles: two Hepatozoon and two Schellackia species. Hepatozoon colubri and Hepatozoon ophisauri were morphologically identified in their type hosts, their partial 18S rDNA was analyzed, and thorough literature data were included in their redescription. The scarce data on the detected Schellackia spp. did not allow for their formal species description. Using an integrative approach, including morphological and geographical features, host specificity, molecular data, and the data published thus far, we face the following main difficulties hindering reliable diagnosis. (1) The lack of molecular data on well-described and named species. (2) The insufficiency of using only morphological and biological features, or only sequential data without morphology, to perform an absolutely reliable species diagnosis. (3) Typical morphological features are more substantial than metric means. (4) High risk of synonymy is present in taxonomy of blood Protista. (5) Artefacts caused by blood smear processing further complicate the correct morphological determination.

CEITEC Central European Institute of Technology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Palackého 1946 1 612 42 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Palackého 1946 1 Brno 612 42 Czech Republic

Department of Biology Faculty of Science University of Guilan Rasht Iran

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Branišovská 1760 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

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