Volume 65, Issue 3, June 2016, Pages 295–301
Highlights
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- We investigate chewing lice species of wild birds of Portugal.
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- Chewing lice were found on 26 (21.3%) of the 122 wild birds examined.
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- Colonial birds and migratory birds had higher infestation rate of lice.
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- All 17 species of chewing lice are recorded for the first time in Portugal.
Abstract
This
study was carried out to determine chewing louse species of wild birds
in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, located in southern Portugal. In
addition, the hypothesis that bird age, avian migration and social
behaviour have an impact on the louse prevalence was tested. Between
September and December of 2013, 122 birds (belonging to 10 orders, 19
families, 31 genera and 35 species) captured in scientific ringing
sessions and admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Investigation
Centre of Ria Formosa were examined for lice. Twenty-six (21.3%) birds
were found to be infested with at least one chewing louse species. The
chewing lice identified include 18 species. Colonial birds (34.9%) and
migratory birds (29.5%) had statistically significant higher prevalence
than territorial birds (6.8%) and resident birds (13.1%), respectively.
This paper records 17 louse species for the first time in southern
Portugal: Laemobothrion maximum, Laemobothrion vulturis, Actornithophilus piceus lari, Actornithophilus umbrinus, Austromenopon lutescens, Colpocephalum heterosoma, Colpocephalum turbinatum, Eidmanniella pustulosa, Nosopon casteli, Pectinopygus bassani, Pseudomenopon pilosum, Trinoton femoratum, Trinoton querquedulae, Craspedorrhynchus platystomus, Degeeriella fulva, Falcolipeurus quadripustulatus, Lunaceps schismatus. Also a nymph of the genus Strigiphilus
was collected from a Eurasian eagle-owl. These findings contribute to
the knowledge of avian chewing lice from important birds areas in
Portugal.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Chewing louse species;
- Host–parasite associations;
- New records;
- Phthiraptera;
- Portugal;
- Wild birds
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