Parasites of the Southern silvery grebe Podiceps occipitalis (Aves, Podicipedidae) in Chile.

Daniel González-Acuña,Armando Cicchino,Carlos Landaeta-Aqueveque,Lucila Moreno,Gonzalo Torres-Fuentes,John Mike Kinsella,Carlos Barrientos,Sebastián Llanos-Soto,Felipe González,Sergey Mironov

doi:10.1590/s1984-29612017015

Abstract

A total of 97 southern silvery grebes (Podiceps occipitalis), which died as the result of an oil spill on the coast of central Chile, were examined for ecto- and endoparasites. Two lice species including Aquanirmus rollandii (Philopteridae) and Pseudomenopon dolium (Menoponidae) were found from 6.2% (6/97) of birds. In 91.7% (89/97) of cases, grebes were infected with some kind of helminths. Three species of gastrointestinal helminths were detected: Eucoleus contortus (Nematoda), Profilicollis bullocki (Acanthocephala), and Confluaria sp. (Cestoda). In addition, Pelecitus fulicaeatrae (Nematoda) was removed from the tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal articulation in 13.4% (13/97) of the specimens examined. To our knowledge, these are the first records of A. rollandii, E. contortus, and Confluaria sp. as parasites of P. occipitalis. In addition, these findings expand the distributional range of A. rollandii, E. contortus, P. fulicaeatrae, and Confluaria sp. to Chile.

Highlights

The southern silvery grebe Podiceps occipitalis Garnot, 1826 is widely distributed across South American countries, as it can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Chile, they rarely occur in Ecuador and Colombia (COUVE & VIDAL, 2003; MAILLARD et al, 2006)
The present study provides new data on the diversity and prevalence of ecto- and endoparasites in the southern silvery grebe that inhabits the coast of central Chile
P. dolium is a cosmopolitan species that parasitizes Podiceps ruficollis, P. auritus, P. grisegena, P. cristatus, P. nigricollis, Podilymbus podiceps, Aechmophorus occidentalis, and Tachybaptus ruficollis in Europe, Africa, India, Asia and North America (PRICE, 1974; MARTÍN MATEO, 2006; VAS et al, 2012; DIK & HALAJIAN, 2013; GALLOWAY et al, 2014; JAŁOSZYŃSKI et al, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

The southern silvery grebe Podiceps occipitalis Garnot, 1826 is widely distributed across South American countries, as it can be found in Argentina (including in the Falkland Islands/Malvinas), Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Chile, they rarely occur in Ecuador and Colombia (COUVE & VIDAL, 2003; MAILLARD et al, 2006). Only a louse, Pseudomenopon dolium Rudow, 1896 (Phthiraptera: Menopodidae), and helminths, Pelecitus fulicaeatrae Diesing, 1861 (Nematoda: Filarioidea) and Profilicollis bullocki Perry, 1942 (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), have been described for P. occipitalis in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile, respectively (PRICE et al, 2003; RIQUELME et al, 2006; ESCUDERO et al, 2007). The present study provides new data on the diversity and prevalence of ecto- and endoparasites in the southern silvery grebe that inhabits the coast of central Chile.

Results

Conclusion