Applying a modified streamlined disease risk analysis framework to a platypus conservation translocation, with special consideration for the conservation of ecto- and endoparasites.

Platypuses are the world's most evolutionarily distinct mammal and have several host-specific ecto- and endoparasites. With platypus populations declining, consideration should also be given to preserving these high conservation priority parasites alongside their charismatic host. A disease risk analysis (DRA) was performed for a platypus conservation translocation, using a modified streamlined methodology that incorporated a parasite conservation framework. DRA frameworks rarely consider parasite conservation. Rather, parasites are typically considered myopically in terms of the potential harm they may cause their host. To address this, a previously proposed parasite conservation framework was incorporated into an existing streamlined DRA methodology. Incorporation of the two frameworks was achieved readily, although there is opportunity for further refinement of this process. This DRA is significant as it is the first performed for any monotreme species, and implements the emerging approach of balancing the health and disease risk of the host with parasite conservation.

A critically co-endangered feather louse Forficuloecus pezopori n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) detected through conservation intervention for the western ground parrot Pezoporus flaviventris (Psittaculidae).

Forficuloecus pezopori Martin, Keatley & Ash n. sp. from the western ground parrot Pezoporus flaviventris North, 1911 (Psittaculidae) is proposed based on combined evidence from morphology and COI mitochondrial DNA. Phylogenetically, the new species is closest to its two known congeners from Western Australia: F. josephi Price, Johnson & Palma, 2008 from Bourke's parrot Neopsephotus bourkii (Gould, 1841) and the scarlet-chested parrot Neophema splendida (Gould, 1841), and F. palmai Guimarães, 1985 from the Australian ringneck parrot Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805). Morphologically it is distinguishable by abdominal chaetotaxy and characters of the male genitalia, and is most similar to F. josephi and F. greeni Guimarães, 1985; the latter has no representative sequence data. Forficuloecus pezopori is the eleventh species of its genus and the only metazoan parasite known from P. flaviventris, which is among Australia's most endangered vertebrates. The new louse is apparently restricted to P. flaviventris and is therefore co-endangered, facing at least the same likelihood of extinction as its host. We recommend ongoing translocation and field monitoring efforts for P. flaviventris include monitoring but not treatment for lice infestations in otherwise healthy individuals, and that the care management plan for captive P. flaviventris considers that F. pezopori is similarly imperilled.

Working towards a conservation plan for fish parasites: Cyprinid parasites from the south African cape fold freshwater ecoregion as a case study.

The preservation of the world's biodiversity for future generations has been a global objective for many years, with the establishment of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 1964. However, the conservation of parasites is a more recent development and, due to the difficulty in obtaining data and studying some of the parasitic species, comes its own series of challenges. Using parasites of cyprinid hosts (one critically endangered, one endangered and three near threatened) collected from South Africa's Cape Fold freshwater ecoregion (CF) as a case study, this paper discusses the challenges and possible solutions for implementing a fish parasite conservation project. Novel data on the fish parasites (1819 metazoan parasite individuals, representing the Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Copepoda, Digenea, Monogenea and Nematoda) of the CF are provided from the five endemic hosts, Cheilobarbus serra (Peters, 1864), Labeobarbus seeberi (Gilchrist et Thompson, 1913), Pseudobarbus phlegethon (Barnard, 1938), Sedercypris calidus (Barnard, 1938), and Sedercypris erubescens (Skelton, 1974). Conservation statuses for selected parasite taxa are also proposed based on the conservation statuses of the fish hosts, according to the Conservation Assessment Methodology for Animal Parasites (CAMAP).

Testing the efficacy of different molecular tools for parasite conservation genetics: a case study using horsehair worms (Phylum: Nematomorpha).

In recent years, parasite conservation has become a globally significant issue. Because of this, there is a need for standardized methods for inferring population status and possible cryptic diversity. However, given the lack of molecular data for some groups, it is challenging to establish procedures for genetic diversity estimation. Therefore, universal tools, such as double-digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq), could be useful when conducting conservation genetic studies on rarely studied parasites. Here, we generated a ddRADseq dataset that includes all 3 described Taiwanese horsehair worms (Phylum: Nematomorpha), possibly one of the most understudied animal groups. Additionally, we produced data for a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) for the said species. We used the COXI dataset in combination with previously published sequences of the same locus for inferring the effective population size (Ne) trends and possible population genetic structure.We found that a larger and geographically broader sample size combined with more sequenced loci resulted in a better estimation of changes in Ne. We were able to detect demographic changes associated with Pleistocene events in all the species. Furthermore, the ddRADseq dataset for Chordodes formosanus did not reveal a genetic structure based on geography, implying a great dispersal ability, possibly due to its hosts. We showed that different molecular tools can be used to reveal genetic structure and demographic history at different historical times and geographical scales, which can help with conservation genetic studies in rarely studied parasites.

Molecular phylogenetics and systematics of two enteric helminth parasites (Baylisascaris laevis and Diandrya vancouverensis) in the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis).

Island biogeography can promote rapid diversification and speciation via geographic isolation and novel selection pressures. These same factors can threaten the persistence of island endemics by limiting gene flow and suitable habitat. Host-parasite interactions on islands introduce another dimension of complexity as both species must simultaneously adapt to exogenous and endogenous factors. One example of host-parasite island biogeography is the critically endangered Vancouver Island (VI) marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) which is endemic to VI, Canada, and hosts two enteric helminth parasites: Baylisascaris laevis, an ascarid nematode common in tribe Marmotini, and Diandrya vancouverensis, an anoplocephalid cestode endemic to the VI marmot. Here, we aligned novel sequences from B. laevis (six genes) and D. vancouverensis (two genes) with congeneric sequences from GenBank. Phylogenies reconstructed using Bayesian and maximum parsimony approaches consistently placed B. laevis in a morphoclade, and D. vancouverensis in a monophyletic clade sister to D. composita. Mean pairwise sequence divergence between D. vancouverensis and D. composita (9.06 ± 1.94%) surpassed commonly accepted thresholds for species delimitation, whereas divergence between VI and mainland populations of B. laevis (1.12 ± 0.78%) was comparable to (or sometimes greater than) pairwise divergence values between other Baylisascaris species. Disparity in the genetic divergence of each parasite may reflect differences in their life cycle, host specificity, virulence, and the chronological extent of their isolation. Detailed descriptions of the population genetic structure and effects of both parasites on their shared host are crucial next steps in understanding the history of B. laevis and D. vancouverensis on VI and informing conservation efforts for the VI marmot and its enteric helminth parasites.

Parasites as conservation tools.

Parasite success typically depends on a close relationship with one or more hosts; therefore, attributes of parasitic infection have the potential to provide indirect details of host natural history and are biologically relevant to animal conservation. Characterization of parasite infections has been useful in delineating host populations and has served as a proxy for assessment of environmental quality. In other cases, the utility of parasites is just being explored, for example, as indicators of host connectivity. Innovative studies of parasite biology can provide information to manage major conservation threats by using parasite assemblage, prevalence, or genetic data to provide insights into the host. Overexploitation, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change are major threats to animal conservation, and all of these can be informed by parasites.

Los Parásitos como Herramienta de Conservación Resumen El éxito de los parásitos depende típicamente de la relación cercana con uno o más hospederos; por lo tanto, las características de la infección parasitaria tienen potencial para proporcionar detalles indirectos de la historia natural del hospedero y son biológicamente relevantes para la conservación animal. La caracterización de las infecciones parasitarias ha sido útil para definir a las poblaciones hospederas y ha servido como sustituto para la evaluación de la calidad ambiental. Los estudios innovadores de la biología de parásitos pueden proporcionar información para manejar las principales amenazas a la conservación mediante la información proporcionada por el conjunto de parásitos, su prevalencia o genética que proporciona conocimiento sobre el hospedero. La sobreexplotación, la pérdida del hábitat y la fragmentación, las especies invasoras y el cambio climático son las principales amenazas para la conservación animal y a todas pueden ser informadas mediante los parásitos.

Saving the Manx Shearwater Flea Ceratophyllus (Emmareus) fionnus (Insecta: Siphonaptera): The Road to Developing a Recovery Plan for a Threatened Ectoparasite.

PURPOSE: The Manx shearwater flea Ceratophyllus (Emmareus) fionnus Usher, 1968 is a host-specific parasitic insect apparently restricted to the Isle of Rùm, off the west coast of Scotland. Although C. (E.) fionnus is one of only a small number of insect species endemic to the British Isles, its conservation status has never been evaluated. To enable effective management, the conservation status of the species was assessed. METHODS: The conservation status of C. (E.) fionnus was evaluated using host and distribution records in conjunction with two assessment rubrics; the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, and a flea-specific assessment rubric developed previously. RESULTS: Ceratophyllus (Emmareus) fionnus was found to be threatened with extinction due to its hyperendemicity on the Isle of Rùm and was classified as vulnerable. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the assessment, immediate conservation action to protect C. (E.) fionnus is encouraged and a recovery plan is outlined. This includes surveys and studies of the bionomics of the species in conjunction with in-situ management of the known population. The creation of insurance populations through conservation translocations is also encouraged.

Ixodes heathi n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), a co-endangered tick from the critically endangered mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus), with notes on its biology and conservation.

A new species of co-endangered tick, Ixodes heathi n. sp., is described from specimens of the nymph collected on the critically endangered mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus Broom) from the alpine region of Victoria, Australia. Its biology is discussed along with strategies for its conservation.

The first authenticated record of the pangolin tick Amblyomma javanense (Acari: Ixodidae) in Singapore, with notes on its biology and conservation.

The first authenticated record of the co-endangered pangolin tick (Amblyomma javanense) is reported from the Republic of Singapore, based on specimens of males and females collected from the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica). The biology of the species is reviewed and steps for its conservation are outlined to ensure its continued survival across its range.