Species Of Lice Research Articles

Two New Species of Sucking Lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) from Chestnut Mice, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus and Pseudomys nanus (Rodentia: Muridae), in Australia.

We describe two new species of sucking lice in the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) from Australia: Hoplopleura gracilicaudatusa n. sp. from the eastern chestnut mouse Pseudomys gracilicaudatus (Gould) (Rodentia: Muridae), and Hoplopleura nanusa n. sp. from the western chestnut mouse Pseudomys nanus (Gould) (Rodentia: Muridae). Pseudomys Gray is the most speciose genus of rodents endemic to Australia with 24 species; however, only two Pseudomys species have been reported previously to be hosts of sucking lice. The description of the new species in the present study doubles the number of sucking louse species known to parasitize Pseudomys mice and increases the total number of sucking louse species known from endemic Australian rodents from 21 to 23. Pseudomys gracilicaudatus and P. nanus are closely related murines that diverged ~1 MYA with distinct and widely separated extant geographic distributions. The two new Hoplopleura species described in the present study share some morphological characters and likely co-evolved and co-speciated with their chestnut mouse hosts.

Records of Fleas (Siphonaptera) and Other Ectoparasites from Maine

During four 5-day trips to the 3 northern-most Maine counties of Aroostook, Piscataquis, and Somerset, we captured 347 small mammals from which we collected 415 fleas, 36 lice, and 10 larval botfly ectoparasites. Additionally, we located records of fleas from Maine in the Traub collection at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. From these sources, we establisned new state records of occurrence in Maine for 2 flea species, Conorhinopsylla stanfordi and Orchopeas howardi, and 1 louse species, Neohaematopinus semifasciatus. We herein report 27 new county records for fleas and 3 for botflies. The total number of flea species known to occur in Maine is now 32.

Population Dynamics of Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera) Infesting Birds (Aves)

In the past 25 years, studies on interactions between chewing lice and their bird hosts have increased notably. This body of work reveals that sampling of live avian hosts, collection of the lice, and the aggregated distributions of louse infestations pose challenges for assessing louse populations. The number of lice on a bird varies among host taxa, often with host size and social system. Host preening behavior limits louse abundance, depending on bill shape. The small communities of lice (typically one-four species) that live on individual birds show species-specific patterns of abundance, with consistently common and rare species, and lower year-to-year population variability than other groups of insects. Most species of lice appear to breed continuously on their hosts, with seasonal patterns of abundance sometimes related to host reproduction and molting. Competition may have led to spatial partitioning of the host by louse species, but seldom contributes to current patterns of abundance.

Phylogenetic analysis of lice infested chicken (Gallus gallus domisticus) with new records in Kurdistan of Iraq.

The domestic chickens are the most important protein sources of human populations in every part of the world; many parasites' species may affect birds. Ectoparasites can be found practically in all birds. They feed on their body components like blood, feathers. The effects of louse parasitism on birds are often severe, including retarded growth, low egg production and susceptibility to other infections and due to lice possess chewing mouthpart, it feeds on dry skin scales, scab tissues, and feather parts and it causes skin irritation and sucks blood (anemia), discomfort, loss of plumage, and decrease in productivity of the host. The aim of this study is to investigate lice genera and create the phylogenetic tree among the sequenced lice, using both mitochondrial DNA (COI gene) and nuclear gene (18S rRNA gene). Sequencing data were aligned with the sequences available in the NCBI GenBank. From October 2017 until July 2018, two hundred outdoor local chickens from three governorates (Duhok, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah), were examined for lice collection. After the morphological identification of the lice, the total genomic DNA of each louse was extracted individually and universal primers L6625, H7005 were used to amplify the DNA of mitochondrial gene COI (Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I) and three designed specific primers (18SrRSHM1, 18SrRSHM2 and 18SrRSHM3) were applied to amplify the DNA of the nuclear gene 18S rRNA. Sequencing DNA results were submitted to the GenBank, For the first time in Iraq, twelve species of chicken lice have been submitted in a GenBank with accession numbers of MN531684 from Menopon gallinae; MN524167, MN588078, MN588079 belonged to the species of Menacanthus stramineus; MN524168, MN524182, MN588080 belonged to the species of Goniocotes gallinae; MN524180, MN588092 belonged to the species of Lipeurus caponis; MN524181, MN588091 belonged to the species of Goniocotes gigas and MN588089 belonged to the species of Goniodes dissimilis.

Of lice and men: Charles Darwin, Henry Denny and the evidence for the human races as varieties or species

AbstractCharles Darwin never doubted the common ancestry of the human races. But he was open-minded about whether the races might nevertheless be so different from each other that they ought to be classified not as varieties of one species but as distinct species. He pondered this varieties-or-species question on and off for decades, from his time aboard the Beagle through to the publication of the Descent of Man. A constant throughout was his concern with something that he first learned on the Beagle voyage and that, on the face of it, seemed to favour the species ranking: the different races, he was told, play host to distinct species of lice. This paper reconstructs the long run of Darwin's reflections and interactions on race, lice and history, using his extended correspondence with Henry Denny – curator of the scientific collections of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, and Britain's leading expert in the natural history of lice – as a window onto the social world whose imprint is everywhere in the pages of the Descent.

WITHDRAWN: Epidemiological and spatial-temporal analysis of chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) on the house sparrow, Passer domesticus, in different regions of the Sindh Province, Pakistan

Abstract The house sparrow Passer domesticus (L.) was the most commonly found resident bird of the country, inhabiting almost all types of ecosystems throughout the year. House sparrows harbor different types of chewing lice, with a wide range of population dynamics. In the present study, the house sparrow Passer domesticus (L.), was examined for chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) population with seasonal effects on infestation in Sindh Province, Pakistan, during 2016–2017. A total of 177 birds were examined in the upper, central, and lower Sindh regions. Five species of chewing lice were reported, and their population intensity on the host body were recorded. The data were taken by a random sampling method. Brueelia cyclothorax (77.52%) was the most prevalent louse species and P. fringillae (0.77%) was the least prevalent. The frequency of lice species was also recorded significant for B. cyclothorax (59.75%) and the least frequent species was P. fringillae (0.178%). The Fisher's Exact Test showed a non-significant difference between frequencies of lice and their prevalence of infestation in birds (p > 0.05). The seasonal and geographical distributions of the population of lice were analyzed by the Z-test which showed the spatial frequency was significantly variable (p

Variation in Ectosymbiont Assemblages Associated with Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) from Coast to Coast in Canada

When a species colonizes a new area, it has the potential to bring with it an array of smaller-bodied symbionts. Rock Pigeons (Columba livia Gmelin) have colonized most of Canada and are found in almost every urban center. In its native range, C. livia hosts more than a dozen species of ectosymbiotic arthropods, and some of these lice and mites have been reported from Rock Pigeons in the United States. Despite being so abundant and widely distributed, there are only scattered host-symbiont records for rock pigeons in Canada. Here we sample Rock Pigeons from seven locations across Canada from the west to east (a distance of > 4000 km) to increase our knowledge of the distribution of their ectosymbionts. Additionally, because ectosymbiont abundance can be affected by temperature and humidity, we looked at meteorological variables for each location to assess whether they were correlated with ectosymbiont assemblage structure. We found eight species of mites associated with different parts of the host’s integument: the feather dwelling mites Falculifer rostratus (Buchholz), Pterophagus columbae (Sugimoto) and Diplaegidia columbae (Buchholz); the skin mites: Harpyrhynchoides gallowayi Bochkov, OConnor and Klompen, H. columbae (Fain), and Ornithocheyletia hallae Smiley; and the nasal mites Tinaminyssus melloi (Castro) and T. columbae (Crossley). We also found five species of lice: Columbicola columbae (Linnaeus), Campanulotes compar (Burmeister), Coloceras tovornikae Tendeiro, Hohorstiella lata Piaget, and Bonomiella columbae Emerson. All 13 ectosymbiont species were found in the two coastal locations of Vancouver (British Columbia) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). The symbiont species found in all sampling locations were the mites O. hallae, H. gallowayi, T. melloi and T. columbae, and the lice Colu. columbae and Camp. compar. Three local meteorological variables were significantly correlated with mite assemblage structure: annual minimum and maximum temperatures and maximum humidity in the month the pigeon was collected. Two local meteorological variables, annual maximum and average temperatures, were significantly correlated with louse assemblages. Our results suggest that milder climatic conditions may affect richness and assemblage structure of ectosymbiont assemblages associated with Rock Pigeons in Canada.

Alcedoffula alcyonae Carriker (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) infesting belted kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus) (Aves: Coraciiformes, Alcedinidae), in Manitoba, Canada

AbstractForty-one belted kingfishers, Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus) (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae), from Manitoba, Canada were examined for ectoparasites in 1995–2020. One species of chewing louse, Alcedoffula alcyonae Carriker (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae), infested 48.8% of hosts. The mean intensity of infestation was 17.1, and mean abundance was 8.5 lice per bird. Distribution of infestation was highly aggregated. Although female lice outnumbered males, the sex ratio was not significantly different from 1.0. The ratio of nymphs to females was 2.6. An unidentified species of feather mite of the genus Proterothrix Gaud (Acari: Astigmatina: Proctophyllodidae) infested three of 35 hosts (8.6%). No mites were found in the quills of primary feathers from 19 birds, and no nasal mites were collected from 32.

Chewing Lice of Fregata magnificens with First Record of Fregatiella aurifasciata (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) in Brazil.

The genus Fregata includes 5 species, with 3 recorded in Brazil, with Fregata magnificens being the most abundant. However, its ectoparasitic fauna is still little known. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of ectoparasites of F. magnificens residing along the coast of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo collected by 2 animal rehabilitation centers. Samples were collected from 5 frigatebirds of the Instituto Argonauta in São Paulo and 10 frigatebirds of the Centro de Recuperação de Animais Selvagens (CRAS) in Rio de Janeiro. Species of lice were identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Scanning electron microscopy was also used for identification. Colpocephalum spineum, Fregatiella aurifasciata, and Pectinopygus fregatiphagus were identified. All 3 louse species have previously been recorded from this host outside Brazil, but only P. fregatiphagus has been recorded from Brazil. This paper reports the first occurrence of F. aurifasciata and C. spineum in Brazil. It is also the first record of P. fregatiphagus in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Analysis of phoretic relation between chewing lice and hippoboscid flies of Columba livia.

Phoresy is a biologically mechanical phenomena where an immobile organism hitches on a other mobile organism to translocate. This behaviour is not studied very well on the field level especially between two important parasites infesting the same host. Parasite/parasite interaction is rarely studied through most biological host-parasite systems. Here, we evaluated the phoretic relation between parasitic chewing lice and hippoboscid flies (Pseudolynchia canariensis) on rock pigeons. A total of 69 captivated rock pigeons, Columba livia, were examined for the parasitic chewing lice and hippoboscid flies in Giza Zoo and two local farms near Cairo, Egypt. Results indicated that there is a positive correlation between infestation of hippoboscid flies and chewing lice. Also, the analysis of louse/louse interaction using ANOVA indicated a significant difference between the three chewing louse species which were recorded on the rock pigeons with relatively high abundance of two species, Columbicola columbae and Campanulotes compar. The analysis of hippoboscid flies' abundance and its relation with chewing lice infestation indicate a significant increase of lice intensity in case of high infestation with the fly. The level of hygiene of nest may be inversely related to level of parasite infestation. This work forms a step in the process of understanding parasite/parasite and host/parasite interactions using two parasitic species with a characteristic phoretic behaviour in nature.

Comparative phylogeography between parasitic sucking lice and their host the Namaqua rock mouse, Micaelamys namaquensis (Rodentia: Muridae)

Abstract To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms affecting parasite gene dispersal and subsequent evolution, we investigated mitochondrial and nuclear DNA phylogeographic structures of two ectoparasitic louse species, Polyplax praomydis and Hoplopleura patersoni, and compared this to their host Micaelamys namaquensis. Analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data derived from 13 geographic populations resulted in the detection of distinct phylogenetic clades within the parasite and host species. Strong support for host–parasite co-divergence was found over larger geographic scales but failed to show complete co-divergence over fine geographic scales. This finding led to the partial rejection of the hypothesis that the evolution of species-specific permanent parasites will mirror the phylogeographic pattern of their host. JANE co-phylogenetic reconstructions support the notion that host switching best explains the discrepancies in geographic patterns. We conclude that host specificity and permanency on the host only plays a partial role in maintaining co-divergences between parasites and their hosts.

Eight New Species of Sucking Lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera) From Endemic Murine Rodents in Australia and an Updated Identification Key.

Based on a comprehensive study of museum specimens, eight new species of sucking lice of the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), are described from six genera of Australian Old Endemic rodents: Conilurus Ogilby, 1838 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leggadina Thomas, 1910 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leporillus Thomas, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Mesembriomys Palmer, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Pogonomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Muridae), and Xeromys Thomas, 1889 (Rodentia: Muridae). The description of these new species increases the number of sucking louse species from endemic Australian rodents from 13 to 21 and extends the records of sucking lice to all of the 14 genera of endemic rodents in Australia. Our results show that sucking lice are much more diverse among rodents in Australia than previously known. Furthermore, the Australian Hoplopleura species are host specific-each Hoplopleura species, including the eight new species described in the present study, parasitizes only a single host species, except Hoplopleura irritans Kuhn and Ludwig, 1967 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) and Hoplopleura melomydis Weaver, 2017 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), each of which is found on two host species. An updated dichotomous key for identifying Australian Hoplopleura species is included.

Disentangling lousy relationships: Comparative phylogenomics of two sucking louse lineages parasitizing chipmunks

The evolution of obligate parasites is often interpreted in light of their hosts’ evolutionary history. An expanded approach is to examine the histories of multiple lineages of parasites that inhabit similar environments on a particular host lineage. Western North American chipmunks (genus Tamias) have a broad distribution, a history of divergence with gene flow, and host two species of sucking lice (Anoplura), Hoplopleura arboricola and Neohaematopinus pacificus. From total genomic sequencing, we obtained sequences of over 1100 loci sampled across the genomes of these lice to compare their evolutionary histories and examine the roles of host association in structuring louse relationships. Within each louse species, clades are largely associated with closely related chipmunk host species. Exceptions to this pattern appear to have a biogeographic component, but differ between the two louse species. Phylogenetic relationships among these major louse clades, in both species, are not congruent with chipmunk relationships. In the context of host associations, each louse lineage has a different evolutionary history, supporting the hypothesis that host-parasite assemblages vary both across the landscape and with the taxa under investigation. In addition, the louse Hoplopleura erratica (parasitizing the eastern Tamias striatus) is embedded within H. arboricola, rendering it paraphyletic. This phylogenetic result, together with comparable divergences within H. arboricola, indicate a need for taxonomic revision. Both host divergence and biogeographic components shape parasite diversification as demonstrated by the distinctive diversification patterns of these two independently evolving lineages that parasitize the same hosts.

Description of the postembryonic stages of Mulcticola macrocephalus (Kellogg, 1896) (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera: Philopteridae)

AbstractThe nymphs I, II, III, and adult male and adult female stages of Mulcticola macrocephalus (Kellogg) (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera: Philopteridae), a monoxenous species of chewing louse infesting common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (Forster) (Caprimulgiformes: Caprimulgidae), in North America, are described. Line drawings of whole nymphs and adults are presented, as are details of anterior dorsal head plates, metasternal plates, female subvulvar plates, and male genitalia. Ontogenetic characters exhibited during the postembryonic development of this species of chewing louse are described and discussed in relation to previous information in the literature.

Presence of Two Lice Species (Insecta: Phthiraptera) in a Goat (Capra hircus) from La Comarca Lagunera, Mexico: A Case Report

Phthirapteriasis or pediculosis is the name given to the lice infestation, that causes skin allergy, anemia, and transmission of pathogens. This case report describes the presence of two lice species in a goat from la Comarca Lagunera in Coahuila. The collected specimens were identified as Bovicola caprae and Linognathus africanus. This document represents the first report of these lice species parasiting goats in the southeasthern part of Coahuila, Mexico. Further research are required including a greater number of animals and farms in order to stablish the prevalence of these ectoparasites, establish control measures, as well as to determine its role in the posible transmission of diseases of public and veterinary health concern.

Differential infestation of juvenile Pacific salmon by parasitic sea lice in British Columbia, Canada

Fraser River Pacific salmon have declined in recent decades, possibly from parasitism by sea lice (Caligus clemensi and Lepeophtheirus salmonis). We describe the abundance of both louse species infesting co-migrating juvenile pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum (Oncorhynchus keta), and sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) salmon over 5 years in the Discovery Islands and Johnstone Strait, British Columbia. The generalist louse, C. clemensi, was 5, 7, and 39 times more abundant than the salmonid specialist, L. salmonis, on pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, respectively. Caligus clemensi abundance was higher on pink salmon (0.45, 95% CI: 0.38–0.55) and sockeye (0.39, 95% CI: 0.33–0.47) than on chum salmon. Lepeophtheirus salmonis abundance was highest on pink salmon (0.09, 95% CI = 0.06–0.15). Caligus clemensi had higher abundances in Johnstone Strait than in the Discovery Islands. These results suggest differences in host specialization and transmission dynamics between louse species. Because both lice infest farmed salmon, but only C. clemensi infests Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), conservation science and management regarding lice and Fraser River salmon should further consider C. clemensi and transmission from farmed salmon and wild herring.

Integrative taxonomic description of the chewing louse Tricholipeurus lipeuroides infesting Odocoileus virginianus veraecrucis white-tailed deer in Veracruz, Mexico.

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) represent a component of the ectoparasite fauna associated with large sized mammals as deers. However, the diversity of chewing louse species infesting deer remains to be fully characterized in the Neotropics. Little is known about the chewing lice infesting the extant fourteen subspecies of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Mexico. Known to infest white-tailed deer (WTD) in Canada and the United States (U.S.), Tricholipeurus lipeuroides is a chewing louse species that was originally described in the nineteenth century infesting O. v. mexicanus in Mexico. For the first time, infestation of O. v. veraecrucis, a Neotropical WTD subspecies in Mexico, with T. lipeuroides is reported herein. An integrative taxonomic approach was taken by combining morphological and molecular analyses to describe the T. lipeuroides infestion of O. v. veraecrucis. Ecological parameters of the T. lipeuroides infestations were also calculated. The prevalence was 91.7% of the 56 O. v. veraecrucis (29 females and 27 males) inspected while under chemical restraint that were sampled at 3 sites in the central region of Veracruz state in Mexico. The amplification and sequencing of previously reported T. lipeuroides Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I gene confirmed the identity of all the chewing louse life stages. These results are discussed in the context of comparative analyses on the emergence of novel chewing lice-deer associations.

Two New Species of Sucking Lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae and Polyplacidae) from Grant's Rock Mouse, Micaelamys granti, in South Africa.

Two new species of sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura), Hoplopleura granti n. sp. (Hoplopleuridae) and Polyplax megacephalus n. sp. (Polyplacidae), are described from Grant's rock mouse, Micaelamys granti (Wroughton), from Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Adults of both sexes are illustrated via line drawings and differential interference contrast microscopy images, and are compared with previously described related species that parasitize related hosts: Hoplopleura patersoni Johnson from Aethomys chrysophilus (de Winton) (red veld rat), Aethomys kaiseri (Noack) (Kaiser's aethomys), and Micaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith) (Namaqua rock mouse); Hoplopleura aethomydis Kleynhans from M. namaquensis; Polyplax praomydis Bedford from A. chrysophilus and M. namaquensis; and Polyplax solivaga Johnson from A. chrysophilus. It is not known if these new species of lice are vectors of any pathogens.

Calidolipeurus, new genus for Lipeurus megalops Piaget, 1880 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Oxylipeurus-complex), with a redescription of the type species and a preliminary key to the Oxylipeurus-complex

The chewing louse species Lipeurus megalops Piaget, 1880, is redescribed and illustrated. This species has previously been placed in the genus Oxylipeurus Mjöberg, 1910, but marked differences in preantennal structure, male and female genitalia, abdominal chaetotaxy, and structure of abdominal plates indicate that this species is not closely related to other species in this genus. We therefore erect a new genus, Calidolipeurus gen. nov. for this species. Calidolipeurus is presently monotypic, containing only Calidolipeurus megalops gen. et comb. nov. We also provide a preliminary key to the Oxylipeurus-complex.

Cattle infestation by lice in Northern Tunisia

The reported study was carried out from October 2014 to January 2015 and involved 622 cattle belonging to a dairy farm in North Tunisia. Each animal was examined once for the presence of lice. The infestation prevalence was estimated at 14.3% (89/622). Three louse species were collected: Linognathus vituli (2.7%), Haematopinus eurysternus (11.4%) and Bovicola bovis (0.8%). The co-infestation prevalence was 0.6% and concerned only B. bovis and L. vituli, collected from four calves (three males and one female). Calves were infested by the three species, L. vituli (17.5%), B. bovis (5.2%) and H. eurysternus (1.0%), whereas adults were only infested by H. eurysternus (13.3%). All H. eurysternus parasites were found on the tail of the animals, whereas L. vituli was present on the whole body. B. bovis infested the anterior body parts, mainly the dorsal region (60%) (p < 0.05). Clinical signs were observed only in calves under six months. The infested calves showed pruritus (63%) and depilation (37%).