Abstract
Avian nasal mites are obligate parasites that spend their entire life in the respiratory system of birds. In North America, four families in three orders parasitize birds: Rhinonyssidae (Mesostigmata), Ereynetidae (Prostigmata), Cytoditidae (Astigmata) and Turbinoptidae (Astigmata). Mechanisms of nasal mite transmission among hosts is still unclear and brood parasites like the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater Boddaert, 1783), which utilize multiple bird species as hosts, are interesting for the study of parasites such as nasal mites. We examined 126 cowbirds for nasal mites and found 84 individuals (66.6 %) to be infested. The most common nasal mite species recovered was Ptilonyssus icteridius Strandmann and Furman, 1956. The presence of P. richmondenae George, 1961, in Brown-headed Cowbird represents a new host association, and a potential new species of Ptilonyssus was also recovered. The ereynetid species Boydaia quiscali Clark, 1960 was found in two Brown-headed Cowbirds, both times a co-infestation with species of Ptilonyssus.
Highlights
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater Boddaert, 1783) is a member of Icteridae, which includes blackbirds, grackles, meadowlarks, orioles, cowbirds, and bobolinks
In this study we examined more than 100 specimens of Molothrus ater for nasal mites with the aim of addressing questions regarding prevalence and identity of mites in M. ater and whether the patterns of infestation suggest a predominant mechanism of transmission
The nasal mites found in Brown-headed Cowbirds specimens consisted primarily of four species of Ptilonyssus Berlese & Trouessart, 1889 (Mesostigmata: Rhinonyssidae)
Summary
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater Boddaert, 1783) is a member of Icteridae, which includes blackbirds, grackles, meadowlarks, orioles, cowbirds, and bobolinks. Brown-headed Cowbirds are gregarious birds, sometimes forming mixed flocks with blackbirds and starlings in open areas such as fields, pastures, meadows, forest edges, and lawns (Kaufman 2016). Species of the genus Molothrus are all obligate brood parasites, which means that cowbird females lay eggs in the nests of other species of birds that will serve as foster parents (hosts). The female M. ater will remove one egg from the nest and lay one of her own, where the foster parents will unknowingly rear the young cowbird. A female Molothrus ater can lay a least 40 eggs during a breeding season (Sherry et al 1993)
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