Light Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Colpocephalum nanum Piaget, 1890 (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Colpocephalidae)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the morphological characteristics of Colpocephalum nanum (C. nanum) Piaget, 1890 using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For this purpose, the C. nanum specimens collected from long-legged buzzards, Buteo rufinus (B. rufinus) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), in Turkey were examined under LM and SM for morphological characteristics. The specimens were fixed and kept in 70% ethanol, cleared and mounted on the slides in Canada balsam. They were examined for morphological characteristics under LM. Some of the samples were put in a plate on absorbing paper and kept overnight, for ether to evaporate. These samples were mounted on aluminum stubs to study the ventral surface by placing them on their dorsal or ventral surface on double-sided adhesive tape. They were sputter-coated three times with gold, each time for approximately 7 minutes and later viewed using SEM (Zeiss SUPRA 55 VP FE-SEM and Zeiss EVO lS 10). Parts of the specimens were photographed, and the obtained data about morphological characteristic were evaluated in detail. The LM and SEM photos of C. nanum were compared, and information about the important criteria for diagnosis and other morphological characteristics was obtained.