Different Coevolutionary Breeding Strategies of Ischnoceran Lice onPrunella collarisandP. modularisin High Mountains

Abstract

ABSTRACT Alpine accentors (Prunella collaris) and dunnocks (P. modularis) are closely related species of Prunellidae, which often breed in polygynandrous groups and have specific types of mating behaviour. The alpine accentor lives at high altitudes, in an extreme alpine environment; the dunnock is widely dispersed from lowland to tree line in the mountains. Both species are hosts of the related species of wing lice Philoptersus emiliae and Ph. modularis, respectively. Behavioural differences between these two host species may have resulted in different breeding and seasonal adaptations by their parasites. The main goal of this paper was to test this hypothesis. Sixty five alpine accentors Prunella collaris (Scopoli, 1769) and eighty four dunnocks Prunella modularis (Linnaeus, 1758) were examined for Ischnocera lice in the West Carpathians, Slovakia from 1988 to 2001, and from 2007 to 2010, respectively. Birds were found to be infested with two species of Ischnoceran lice: the parasite species are not com...