Parasitology International 65 (2016) 295–301 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Parasitology International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/parint Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from wild birds in southern Portugal☆ André Tomás a,⁎, Ricardo L. Palma b, Maria Teresa Rebelo a, Isabel Pereira da Fonseca c a Center for Environmental and Marine Studies/Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal b Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington 6011, New Zealand c Interdisciplinary Centre of Research on Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal article info abstract Article history: This study was carried out to determine chewing louse species of wild birds in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, Received 10 September 2015 located in southern Portugal. In addition, the hypothesis that bird age, avian migration and social behaviour Received in revised form 8 February 2016 have an impact on the louse prevalence was tested. Between September and December of 2013, 122 birds Accepted 12 February 2016 (belonging to 10 orders, 19 families, 31 genera and 35 species) captured in scientific ringing sessions and Available online 17 February 2016 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 Keywords: fi fi Chewing louse species identi ed include 18 species. Colonial birds (34.9%) and migratory birds (29.5%) had statistically signi cant Host–parasite associations higher prevalence than territorial birds (6.8%) and resident birds (13.1%), respectively. This paper records 17 New records louse species for the firsttimeinsouthernPortugal:Laemobothrion maximum, Laemobothrion vulturis, Phthiraptera Actornithophilus piceus lari, Actornithophilus umbrinus, Austromenopon lutescens, Colpocephalum heterosoma, Portugal Colpocephalum turbinatum, Eidmanniella pustulosa, Nosopon casteli, Pectinopygus bassani, Pseudomenopon pilosum, Wild birds 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. © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction To date, approximately 4000 species of bird lice have been identified worldwide, and their geographical distribution largely overlaps the dis- Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera and Amblycera) are perma- tribution of their bird hosts [1,9]. According to BirdLife International [6], nent, obligate and host-specific ectoparasites commonly found on there are 307 species of birds recorded from Portugal. However the birds. The life cycle of these insects (including egg, three nymphal and number of louse species documented from birds in Portugal is limited. adult stages) is completed on the body of the host. Bird chewing lice In the first study published in this country, Tendeiro [10] only reported feed mainly on feathers and dermal debris, although some species species of the genus Columbicola Ewing, 1929. Recently, Literak et al. feed on blood [1]. Although chewing lice are relatively benign parasites, [11] recorded two more chewing louse species: Brueelia tovornikae when present in large numbers, they can cause severe pruritus, (Balát, 1981) and Myrsidea sylviae Sychra and Literak, 2008, from plumage quality decay, small holes on feathers and an increase of blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) in the Azores Islands. feather breakage. These adverse conditions may cause changes in Considering the scarcity of published records of lice in Portugal, flight performance, thermoregulatory capacity, body mass, survival additional data on the prevalence of chewing lice on wild birds is and sexual selection of the hosts [2–5]. needed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to gather new Portugal, located in south western Europe, covers an area of data regarding louse species from wild birds in Portugal, and in par- 92,226 km2 and has 106 important bird areas (IBAs), which cover a ticular regarding their prevalence on their hosts, according to birds' total of 2,905,586 ha [6,7]. The country is divided into twenty-three age, phenology and social behaviour. NUTS 3 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) on the mainland and two autonomous regions (Madeira Islands and Azores 2. Materials and methods Islands), each with different climates, habitats, flora and fauna [8]. 2.1. Fieldwork This study was conducted in the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa ☆ All authors contributed equally to this work. ′ ″ ′ ″ ⁎ Corresponding author. (PNRF), Olhão, Portugal (37°2 4.55 N/7°48 46.79 O), between E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Tomás). September and December 2013. Ria Formosa covers 23,296 ha, and http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2016.02.007 1383-5769/© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 296 A. Tomás et al. / Parasitology International 65 (2016) 295–301 is located in Algarve, the most important wetland in southern atricapilla, Sylvia borin, Sylvia melanocephala, Turdus merula, Turdus Portugal. This area offers a complex habitat, comprising barrier philomelos, Ardea cinerea, Athene noctua and Bubo bubo. According islands, intertidal flat zones, salt-works, sandy coasts, lagoons and to their migration phenology, birds were divided into two groups: migra- muddy freshwater shores. This region is also generally fairly warm tory species (n = 61; species with long-distance migration, spending the and dry due to the close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean and North winter in Africa); non-migratory/resident species (n = 61; species that Africa. Furthermore, this district lies along migratory flyways of spend the winter predominantly within their breeding range or per- birdsandcomprisestenimportantbirdareas(IBAs)[6,12]. form short-distance post-breeding movement, spending the winter Data for this study were obtained from birds admitted at the Wildlife in northern Africa). Migratory birds included A. nisus, H. pennatus, Rehabilitation and Investigation Centre of Ria Formosa–Association G. fulvus, A. crecca, C. hiaticula, P. squatarola, C. ridibundus, L. fuscus, ALDEIA (RIAS/ALDEIA), and others captured in mist-nets during C. alpina, S. rusticola, E. rubecula, P. collybita, S. borin, T. philomelos, scientific ringing sessions performed in the PNRF. A. cinerea, P. roseus and M. bassanus. Resident birds were A. monachus, The RIAS/ALDEIA is the only wildlife animal hospital of the Faro A. fasciata, B. buteo, E. caeruleus, U. epops, B. oedicnemus, L. michahellis, District admitting wild animals in need of medical attention, delivered H. himantopus, F. atra, C. brachydactyla, C. cyanus, P. ochruros, by competent authorities and citizens. Immediately before any medical S. atricapilla, S. melanocephala, T. merula, B. ibis, A. noctua and B. bubo. intervention, all birds that were going to be sampled were kept in separate cages to avoid cross-contamination. 2.4. Statistical analysis 2.2. Sampling data Infestation prevalence and mean intensity, of each louse species from each host were evaluated for all bird species, even when the sam- A total of 122 wild birds belonging to 10 orders, 19 families, 31 genera ple was one specimen. In addition, statistical associations between louse and 35 species, were examined for ectoparasites. Bird identifications prevalence of each host order and the following variables were tested: were made using the field guide by Svensson et al. [13], and each bird age (birds with indeterminate age were excluded), social behaviour was classified according to: (I) age, based on plumage features; (II) social and migration status. The results were interpreted using Fisher's behaviour, and (III) migration status, following Catry et al. [14] and exact test with IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Svensson et al. [13]. Armonk, NY). Differences with p b 0.05 were considered statistically Immediately following their arrival at the hospital or their capture significant. during the scientific ringing sessions, the plumage of each bird was visually searched for chewing lice, during approximately 2 min. This 3. Results and discussion search was followed by a standard examination involving a search of the body regions of each host following this sequence: head, nape, A total of 87 lice were collected, representing 27 males, 49 females back, tail, wings, breast, abdomen and legs. In some cases, before the and 11 nymphs. The specimens identified belong to suborders Amblycera louse search, the bird's legs and wings were immobilised with the and Ischnocera, distributed within 13 genera and 17 species. In addition, help of an assistant. During the searching period, all chewing lice seen anymphofStrigiphilus was identified to genus only. were collected with forceps, stored in 70% ethanol and brought to Including the nymph of Strigiphilus, 12 species from eight genera the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon for and two families (Laemobothriidae and Menoponidae) belong to the examination. Animal manipulation was performed by suitably suborder Amblycera, while only six species from four genera and one experienced professionals, minimising the effects of the procedure. family (Philopteridae)