Abstract
The geographical range of the typically host-specific species of chewing lice (Phthiraptera) is often assumed to be similar to that of their hosts. We tested this assumption by reviewing the published records of twelve species of chewing lice parasitizing wild and domestic chicken, one of few bird species that occurs globally. We found that of the twelve species reviewed, eight appear to occur throughout the range of the host. This includes all the species considered to be native to wild chicken, except Oxylipeurus dentatus (Sugimoto, 1934). This species has only been reported from the native range of wild chicken in Southeast Asia and from parts of Central America and the Caribbean, where the host is introduced. Potentially, this discontinuous distribution is due to a low tolerance for dry environments, possibly exacerbated by competitive exclusion by Cuclotogaster heterographus (Nitzsch, 1866). Our examinations of O. dentatus also revealed that this species differs significantly from other species of Oxylipeurus in the male and female genitalia, head structure and chaetotaxy, and other morphological characters. We therefore here erect the monotypic genus Gallancyra gen. nov. for O. dentatus, and redescribe the type species.
Highlights
The same species of chewing lice are often present throughout the range of a given host
Comparisons between specimens of Oxylipeurus dentatus and other lice in the genus Oxylipeurus indicate that this species is morphologically distinct, and very different from other species in the Oxylipeuruscomplex
The economic importance of domestic chicken has led to many surveys of their ectoparasite fauna (Table 1), in contrast to the often very limited geographical data known for lice on most wild birds
Summary
The same species of chewing lice are often present throughout the range of a given host. Adams et al (2005) found the geographical range of Columbicola columbae (Linnaeus, 1758) to be nearly world-wide, including areas where the host had been introduced. Osculonirmus limpidus Mey, 1982, has been found in large parts of its host’s range (Gustafsson & Bush 2017). The range of the host and the range of its lice do not always correspond completely. Clay (1976) summarized several examples of chewing louse species that appear to occur only in parts of their hosts’ ranges.
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