Host Records for Ornithonyssus Sylviarum (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) from Birds of North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico)
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SHORT COMMUNICATION Host Records for Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) from Birds of North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico) 1 WAYNE KNEE AND HEATHER PROCTOR Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9 J. Med. Entomol. 44(4): 709Ð713 (2007) ABSTRACT The northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877) (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) is a broadly distributed blood-feeding parasite that has been collected from many birds of temperate regions. Previously, the most complete host list was published in 1938, and it included 15 North American (Canada, United States, and Mexico) host species. In the process of a general survey of bird-associated mites in Alberta, Canada, we recovered many O. sylviarum specimens. Herein, we update the previous host list with these observations and records published since 1938. We collected mites by washing the bodies of salvaged birds and examining the Þltrate. Northern fowl mites were collected from 26 host species, with 16 of these species being the Þrst host records for North America. Including results from the current study, O. sylviarum has been reported from 72 species of North American birds from 26 families. This updated host list will be useful to anyone interested in the role of O. sylviarum in transmission of avian disease. KEY WORDS Ornithonyssus sylviarum, northern fowl mite, Macronyssidae Birds are host to a diversity of symbiotic animals. Mites Northern fowl mites have been found to harbor and (Arachnida: Acari) are among the most diverse groups mechanically transmit western equine encephalitis of these associates, with at least 40 families and Ϸ3,000 and St. Louis encephalitis viruses (Hammon and described species known from avian hosts (Proctor Reeves 1948, Mullen and OConnor 2002), but they and Owens 2000). Some species are highly detrimental are not considered to be an important reservoir for parasites such as the nasal mite Sternostoma trachea- either virus (Chamberlain and Sikes 1955, Reeves et colum Lawrence, 1948 (Mesostigmata: Rhinonyssi- al. 1955). Hofstad (1949) experimentally infected dae), whereas others are relatively benign such as northern fowl mites with Newcastle virus by allow- most feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea: Pterolich- ing them to feed on infected chickens, but the dis- oidea: Freyanoidea) (Proctor and Owens 2000). ease could not be transmitted by infected mites to The northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum uninfected chickens. (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877) (Mesostigmata: Ma- The most recent North American (Canada, United cronyssidae), is an obligate hematophagous ectopar- States, and Mexico) host list for O. sylviarum was asite of domestic and wild birds in temperate regions published nearly 70 yr ago (Cameron 1938). While worldwide. O. sylviarum spends the majority of its life surveying the mites associated with birds of Alberta, cycle on the host (Sikes and Chamberlain 1954), but Canada, we became aware of a need for an updated it is often associated with nesting material when young host list for the northern fowl mite in North America, birds are in the nest. With a short generation time of including our new records from Alberta. 5Ð7 d, O. sylviarum populations can build up rapidly, reaching upward of 22,000 individuals in a single nest Materials and Methods (Sikes and Chamberlain 1954, Masan and Orszaghova 1995). Humans are occasionally attacked by hungry We have amassed a collection of Ϸ700 birds from mites when nests associated with artiÞcial structures the contributions of the Alberta Fish and Wildlife are abandoned after chicks ßedge, and bitten humans Forensic Laboratory, the Royal Alberta Museum, wa- may suffer pruritic dermatitis as a result (Orton et al. terfowl hunters, and colleagues at the University of 2000). Heavy infestations in poultry houses can result Alberta. Collection data were sparse for many of these in large blood losses and reduced egg production in specimens; and for some species, we can only say that domestic fowl (DeVaney 1979, DeLoach and the birds were collected from somewhere in Alberta. DeVaney 1981). Currently, it is not clear whether Bird bodies were maintained at Ϫ20ЊC until process- these mites can act as vectors for disease agents. ing. Frozen birds were Þrst thawed and then washed using the following method. The bird was placed in a 1 Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]. suitably sized container, ranging from 4 to 18 liters, 0022-2585/07/0709Ð0713$04.00/0 ᭧ 2007 Entomological Society of America 710 JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 44, no. 4 Table 1. O. sylviarum host species records from birds of Alberta, Canada, and the status of these records for North America Location and date of host Host order Host family Host genus Host species Status collection Falconiformes Accipitridae Accipiter striatus Vieillot Barrhead, 24 Sept. 1993 New record Pandion haliaetus (L.) No location, no date New record Falconidae Falco columbarius L. No location, 22 Aug. New record Passeriformes Corvidae Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm Edmonton, Oct. 2006 Previous record Cyanocitta cristata (L.) Edmonton, 19 Sept. 2000 Previous record Perisoreus canadensis (L.) Slave Lake, 10 Oct. 2003 New record Emberizidae Pheucticus ludovicianus (L.) Barrhead, 21 July 1999 New record Spizella passerina (Bechstein) No location, 1 July 2003 Previous record Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forster) Barrhead, 6 Sept. 1992, 1 Oct. New record 1991, 21 July 1999 Fringillidae Carpodacus purpureus (Gmelin) Barrhead, 22 June 1993 New record Icteridae Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler) No location, no date New record Icterus galbula (L.) Ministik Hills, no date Previous record Molothrus ater (Boddaert) Standard, 15 July 2002 Previous record Quiscalus quiscula (L.) Devon, 10 July 2002 Previous record Sturnella neglecta Audubon No location, no date New record Parulidae Vermivora peregrina (Wilson) University of Alberta, 11 Aug. 2004 New record Turdidae Catharus ustulatus (Nuttall) Ministik Hills, no date New record Sialia currucoides (Bechstein) St. Paul, 5 Aug. 2003 New record Turdus migratorius Linnaeus Ministik Hills, 2 Sept. 1993; Millet, Previous record 18 July 1999 Tyrannidae Empidonax alnorum Brewster Barrhead, 9 June 1993 New record Tyrannus tyrannus (L.) Cardston, 9 Sept. 2003 Previous record Piciformes Picidae Colaptes auratus (L.) Barrhead, no date Previous record Picoides pubescens (L.) St. Albert, July 2004 New record P. villosus (L.) Edmonton, 15 Oct. 2002 Previous record Sphyrapicus varius (L.) Edmonton, 3 Oct. 2002 New record Strigiformes Strigidae Asio otus (L.) No location, 20 Aug. 2005 New record with a drop of dish detergent, enough 95% ethanol to lack the Z5 setal pair. Male northern fowl mites can soak the plumage of the bird, and enough water to also be identiÞed by the presence of a transversal line submerge it. The sealed container was then shaken approximately where the ventral and anal shields meet vigorously for 5 min. Particularly large birds were (Cameron 1938). Literature searches were performed washed in a basin and thoroughly massaged while in in Zoological Record (1978Ð2006) and Journal Storage the solution. Each bird was then removed from the (JSTOR) (from the earliest records, in the 1800s for container and rinsed thoroughly over a Fisher 53-m some journals, to 2003) databases. We did not conÞrm mesh Þlter; large birds were rinsed over the washing the identiÞcation for any of the mites recorded in the basin. The washing liquid was Þltered and the con- literature. Host taxonomy and authorities follow tainer and lid were rinsed thoroughly over the same Clements (1991) provided by Andrew and McAllan 53-m Þlter. The Þltrate was stored in 30-ml scintil- (1998), selecting the “Clements 1991Ð1996” taxonomy lation and snap cap vials. Washings were examined option. Voucher specimens have been deposited in using Leica MZ16 and MZ6 dissection microscopes at the E. H. Strickland Entomological Museum at the 20Ð25ϫ magniÞcation. Mites were removed and University of Alberta (UASM 80530-80556). cleared in 85% lactic acid for 1Ð24 h depending on the degree of original opacity. Mites were mounted in a Results and Discussion polyvinyl alcohol medium (6371A, BioQuip Products, Rancho Dominguez, CA). Slides were cured on a slide We examined 444 individual birds, representing 149 warmer at Ϸ40ЊC for 3 to 4 d. We examined slide species from 16 orders. Our sample represents 37% of mounted specimens on a Leica DMLB compound mi- AlbertaÕs 402 species of birds (based on list from the croscope, with differential interference contrast mi- Royal Alberta Museum 2005). O. sylviarum specimens croscopy at 400ϫ magniÞcation and identiÞed O. were collected from 34 host individuals representing sylviarum specimens by using Baker (1999). Female four orders, 11 families, 25 genera, and 26 species O. sylviarum can be distinguished from female O. (Table 1). Sixteen of the 26 host species records from bursa (Berlese, 1888) by the absence of the Z5 dorsal Alberta are new records for North America (Table 1). opisthosomal setal pair in O. sylviarum. Although the The northern fowl mites were primarily collected extent of the sternal shield and placement of the third from passerines, which represented 18 of the 26 host pair of sternal setae on or off the shield are often species records. We observed an average of three to presented as diagnostic characters in keys, they are four mites per host individual, with the highest num- not sufÞciently reliable to separate these