Dactylosoma cf. ranarum SK in blood smears of Pelophylax esculentus. A) Trophozoite. B–G) Primary merogony: B) Early meront. C; D) Young primary meront released from host cell, presumably due to cell damage or lysis. The meront in C appears to be partially protruding into the lymphocyte, suggesting a possible interaction. E; F) Primary meront with 12 budding merozoites. G) Primary merozoites. The top inset shows one of the merozoites that has already invaded the nearest erythrocyte; the bottom inset shows another primary merozoite from a different smear preparation. H–L) Secondary merogony: H; I) Young secondary meront. J) Maturing secondary meront with eight nuclei. K) Secondary meronts with eight budding merozoites. L) Secondary merozoites. M) Immature gamonts at various stages of development and a secondary merozoite. N) Immature gamont released from degraded erythrocyte. O) Mature intracellular gamont. P) Mature extracellular gamonts. Bright-field microscopy, Giemsa staining. Scale bar applies to all micrographs. Black arrowhead – condensed chromatin/nucleus, black asterisk – merozoite following erythrocyte invasion, de – degrading erythrocyte, ly – lymphocyte, white arrowhead – apical end of gamont.