Insect ectoparasites from wild passerine birds in the Azores Islands
Oslejskova Lucie,
Kounkova Sarka,
Gustafsson Daniel R.,
Resendes Roberto,
Rodrigues Pedro,
Literak Ivan,
Sychra Oldrich
Affiliations
Oslejskova Lucie
Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Kounkova Sarka
Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Gustafsson Daniel R.
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resources, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Zoology
Resendes Roberto
CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Polo dos Açores, Universidade dos Açores
Rodrigues Pedro
Instituto de Patologia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile Isla Teja
Literak Ivan
Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Sychra Oldrich
Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
A total of 266 wild passerine birds (Passeriformes) representing eight species and nine subspecies from three islands of the Archipelago of the Azores were examined for ectoparasites. Two species of louse-flies Ornithomya avicularia and Ornithoica turdi (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), three species of fleas Ceratophyllus gallinae, Ceratophyllus sp. and Dasypsyllus gallinulae (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae), and 11 species of chewing lice belonging to the genera Menacanthus, Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), Ricinus (Phthiraptera: Ricinidae), Brueelia, Guimaraesiella, Philopterus, Sturnidoecus and Turdinirmus (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) were recorded. At least one species of ectoparasite was found on 114 birds of six species. Guimaraesiella tovornikae and Myrsidea sylviae from Sylvia atricapilla are redescribed. Records of Ceratophyllus sp. and Sturnidoecus sp. from Turdus merula represent new parasite-host associations. Phoresy of Guimaraesiella amsel on Ornithoica turdi was also found. Parasitological parameters such as prevalence, intensity and abundance and geographic distribution of recorded ectoparasites are provided.
