Abstract
Quill mites (Gabucinia bicaudata) and lice (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) may infest ostrich feathers, resulting in skin damage, pruritus and excessive feather preening and loss. Four different feather types (prime white, femina extra wide, femina class 1, and femina short; n = 10) were collected. The quill mites and lice were removed with fine forceps, studied using a photographic optical microscope and counted microscopically at x 100 magnification following collection by sedimentation. They were placed in separate Petri dishes containing lactophenol solution and examined (x40 magnification). Anatomical features are described. The density of quill mites in all feather types of both wings was higher than that of the lice. There was no significant difference between the counts of both arthropods on the left wing and the right wing, respectively, except for the femina class 1 quill mites (P = 0.01). The femina extra wide feathers were a preferred habitat in both wings. Large standard deviations (quill mites left wing: 73 +/- 8; quill mites right wing: 69 +/- 7) suggested variations in the degree of migration between feather shafts or as a response to escape preening. It is recommended that ostriches be treated with an oral preparation of Ivermectin administered per os at a dosage rate of 0.2 mg/kg at 30-day intervals for quill mites, and with a 1-5 % Malathion dust at 14-day intervals for lice.
Highlights
Quill mites (Gabucinia bicaudata) and lice (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) may infest ostrich white, femina extra wide, femina class 1, feathers, resulting in skin damage, pruritis and excessive feather preening and loss
There was no significant difference between the counts of b both arthropods on the left wing and the right wing, respectively, except for quill mites on the femina class 1 feathers, where the left wing was significantly
From the data it appears that the femina extra wide feathers were a preferred habitat, as both wing types had the highest density of arthropods
Summary
Quill mites (Gabucinia bicaudata) and lice (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) may infest ostrich white, femina extra wide, femina class 1, feathers, resulting in skin damage, pruritis and excessive feather preening and loss. Cooper R G, El Doumani H A A The presence of quill mites (Gabucinia bicaudata) and lice (Struthiolipeurus struthionis) in ostrich wing feathers. T h er emayalsobe ferred to a centrifuge tube (10 m ) and Pterolichidae; species Gabucinia bicaudata) and lice
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