First report of Davaneidae and Strongylida parasitizing Ramphocelus carbo (Aves: Passeriformes: Thraupidae) in the southwest of the Brazilian Amazon region.

Leandro Siqueira De Souza,Saba Gul,Edson Guilherme,Francisco Glauco De Araújo Santos,Angela Maria Fortes De Andrade

doi:10.1590/s1984-29612019105

Leandro Siqueira De Souza, Saba Gul + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612019105

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Abstract

In Brazil, species of the genus Ramphocelus with the presence of various endoparasites have already been reported. Coccidia have been the parasites most frequently found. All species of this genus have similar habitats and ecological niches, which makes parasite transmission easy. The aim of this study was to diagnose the presence of endoparasites in fecal samples from specimens of Ramphocelus carbo that were caught in the Cazumbá-Iracema Extractive Reserve (Cazumbá Resex), in the State of Acre. The specimens (n = 30) were caught in mist nets arranged in different ecosystems of the Reserve. After identification, the bird specimens were placed in cloth bags for a maximum of 30 minutes to collect feces. Among the 22 samples collected, 63.63% (n = 14) were positive for endoparasites. The coccidia were the parasites most frequently. Helminths belonging to Ascaridiidae (Nematoda), Strongylida (Nematoda) and Davaneidae (Cestoda) were recorded for the first time in R. carbo in the State of Acre. Parasites belonging to Strongylida and Davaneidae were recorded for the first time in a species of Ramphocelus. These findings add information on the parasitic fauna of wild birds, since in the Amazon region there are few studies on this subject.

Highlights

Ramphocelus (Aves: Thraupidae) includes 10 species (Hilty, 2018), of which only three (R. carbo, R. nigrogularis and R. bresilius) occur in Brazil (Piacentini et al, 2015)
Materials and Methods This investigation was carried out in the “Comunidade Cuidado” (“Care Community”) in the Cazumbá Resex, which is located in the Municipality of Sena Madureira, in the eastern part of the state of Acre, which is in the southwestern part of the Amazon region (9°08’46.7” S; 69°01’17.7” W)
The presence of coccidia in R. carbo feces was reported by Boughton (1938) in their study on host birds of the genus Isospora

Summary

Introduction

Ramphocelus (Aves: Thraupidae) includes 10 species (Hilty, 2018), of which only three (R. carbo, R. nigrogularis and R. bresilius) occur in Brazil (Piacentini et al, 2015). The occurrence of these species in Brazil extends from the Amazon eastwards to Piauí and southwards to western Parana and southern Mato Grosso do Sul (Carvalho, 1957; Hilty, 2018) These birds have been found all over the state of Acre (Guilherme, 2016), as well as in other Brazilian Amazon states (Sick, 1997). Among the species of the genus Ramphocelus, Ramphocelus bresilius is the one most frequently reported as having the presence of endoparasites (Berto et al, 2008; Berto et al, 2009; Lopes et al, 2013; Rojas, 2016) The presence of these endoparasites is directly related to these birds’ behavior, nutrition and reproductive development, which lead to secondary infections in all tissues and organs (Freitas et al, 2002; MariettoGoncalves et al, 2009). Such infections have serious consequences for the preservation of bird species and, especially, those that are threatened with extinction (Costa et al, 2010)

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