Chewing lice Trichodectes pinguis pinguis in Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos)

Núria Fandos Esteruelas; Jonas Malmsten; Caroline Bröjer; Giulio Grandi; Anders Lindström; Paul Brown; Jon E. Swenson; Alina L. Evans; Jon M. Arnemo

doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2016.02.002

International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (Aug 2016)

Chewing lice Trichodectes pinguis pinguis in Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos)

Núria Fandos Esteruelas,
Jonas Malmsten,
Caroline Bröjer,
Giulio Grandi,
Anders Lindström,
Paul Brown,
Jon E. Swenson,
Alina L. Evans,
Jon M. Arnemo

Affiliations

Núria Fandos Esteruelas: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway
Jonas Malmsten: Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden
Caroline Bröjer: Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden
Giulio Grandi: Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden
Anders Lindström: Department of Microbiology, National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden
Paul Brown: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, SW7 5BD London, UK
Jon E. Swenson: Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
Alina L. Evans: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway
Jon M. Arnemo: Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, NO-2418 Elverum, Norway

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2016.02.002
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 134 – 138

Abstract

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In April 2014 and 2015, we noted localized alopecia (neck, forelimbs, and chest) and hyperpigmentation on two adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) captured in central-south Sweden for ecological studies under the Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project. In spring 2015, a brown bear was shot because of human-wildlife conflict in the same region. This bear also had extensive alopecia and hyperpigmentation. Ectoparasites were collected from the affected skin areas in all three individuals and preserved in ethanol for identification. Based on morphological characteristics, the lice were identified as Trichodectes spp. and Trichodectes pinguis pinguis. To our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of chewing lice in free-ranging brown bears in Scandinavia.

Published in International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife

ISSN: 2213-2244 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Zoology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-for-parasitology-parasites-and-wildlife/

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