Chewing lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera) and ticks (Arachnida, Ixodida) associated with birds in highland marshes of the Brazilian semiarid

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Brazilian semiarid, highland marshes are home to a great diversity of species; still, these ecosystems suffer constant impacts due to agriculture, logging, and livestock. Here we describe a community of birds and their ectoparasites in anthropized remnants of a highland marsh ecosystem, located in Northeast of Brazil. From August/2018 to July/2019, mist nets were used to capture birds, and their ectoparasites were then collected. A total of 78 bird species from 18 families were captured, of which 25 species and 12 families were parasitized by lice, while 13 species from 8 families were parasitized by ticks. Of the 546 birds captured, 11.9% were infested by 747 lice belonging to 12 taxa, and 4.2% by 27 ticks. Only seven individuals were infested by both lice and ticks. Both lice and ticks showed preference for topographic sites on their host bodies.